Film analysis: casablanca

On every greatest movies hit list, it is hard to get past number five without seeing Casablanca somewhere in there. Many of us born after the Korean War ask why is this movie so great? It does not have any special effects, there was no one scene that is extremely highly regarded, and the plot of a love triangle is one that has been done numerous times even previous to Casablanca. The answer is simple; Casablanca is everything that a movie should be. The plot was extremely well executed. The main character, Rick was given a background even before he was introduced which allowed the audience some insight to what the character had achieved. It also explained the significance of Casablanca in the war and why people had fled there. Within the first few scenes with Rick, a viewer could pass judgment that he was a confident businessman that had a soft side, which could be seen when he called a cab for his girlfriend that had drank too much. When Rick’s character was finished being established, Ilsa and Lazlo were brought into the story. This was the most effective way of introducing all the main characters because we got to see Rick was like when he wasn’t around Ilsa and there was an obvious character change when she came into the story. Many of the scenes were made effective by the camera use and the ways of cutting to a new shot. The camera often looked up at Rick, showing him as an empowering figure. This was made even more impressive by the fact that when standing next to someone else, Rick looked around 5’5. The camera also zoomed in on the conversations and especially arguments between people and looked at them from a head on angle which gave the viewer a feeling of closeness within the story. Some of the shots were also amazingly coordinated with the music to the movie, which added a lot of effect. A scene that jumps out is when Rick is in his office and he sees Ilsa come in the window. The music jumps as the camera zooms in on Ilsa. It gives the audience the same feeling of surprise that was trying to be portrayed with Rick. The camera also used fades to show a flashback coming. This made it clear to the viewer what was going on, which is often an issue in other movies, even today. The camera also used things happening in the background to fade to a new scene. This happened in a scene in the bar when Rick was smoking a cigarette and the camera used the smoke to fade to a flashback. The use of shots gave the movie a sense of dramatic effect that would not have been there with the basic plot. Casablanca is an ageless classic that will always be used as an outline on how to make a movie. Although it might not be as flashy as some of today’s movies, it will always have a nostalgic value because of the influence it will always have in the film industry.