Saturday, December 7, 2013

Welcome To My Casablanca Website!



Most people who have heard of the motion picture sensation of the 40s, Casablanca, understand the film to be wartime propaganda and/or a romance. Staring established actors and created with first-rate writers, the movie is famous for its memorable lines and stirring theme song among other notable aspects. 

This historical artifact has stood the test of time with its classic theme of patriotism, love, and sacrifice as the words in the catchy script still maintain potency today after so many years. The passion of this never-aging movie is beautifully fashioned into the lyrics of the familiar theme song: “As Time Goes By”. The passion instilled in the lyrics of the song empowered the viewers in the 40s and still resonates meaning in viewers today. The words are relatable, and in a poetic soliloquy of music, a timeless emotion thrives when the song is heard. 
  

 “Time is always going by…. It’s still the same old story, a fight for love and glory.” Casablanca has maintained potency in its icon status even today for the resemblance it mirrors throughout society, history, politics, and culture.



                                       Watch the trailer for Casablanca here

Part of Our Cultural Lexicon


Casablanca is a cultural icon that resonates throughout several generations. Young and old alike find meaning and entertainment in the witty phrases, the romance, and the conceptualization of sacrificial heroism. In this way, it succeeds as representational art of cultures both past and present because its intrinsic value lingers in our society even today. Casablanca as historical evidence of past societies The movie is a masterpiece, and a stunning visual creation to holds the song of the ages. As time goes by, Casablanca will continue to share its message and pass along that hopeful reminder of what freedom fighting is all about.

Something becomes an icon when its resemblance resonates all over the world through its permeation of social, cultural, political, and historical barriers. Once it has been involved in every layer of interactive life over a certain amount of times – meaning its “essence” appears and is recognized in each successive generation – it becomes noticeable, recognizable, and familiar. The familiarity is what keeps the icon lingering because it is essentially part of the intrinsic makeup of a culture’s atmosphere. Its importance lies in its continual presence it owns in our lives. Learn why here
 
Even today, the quotes that linger on our tongues and the echo of the dramatic music the film featured keep the power of the film in our society like a dense fog that refuses to lift. No one argues against it: Casablanca is an icon. Top 50 quotes from Casablanca

Casablanca is an icon because its power of familiarity is recognizable in most cultures across America, namely the Brattle of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Scott McGee a writer for TCM, a network that airs classic movies wrote on how the American Culture of the 1960s paid homage to the film. The Brattle of Cambridge Located in Cambridge, there was a movie theater named The Brattle that decided to celebrate Casablanca following Humphrey Bogart’s death in ’57. The theater ran Casablanca every year for three weeks at a time, and each time, the extremely enthusiastic theater crowd grew larger in number. Eventually, it turned into a cult: the fans would arrive in trench coats and snap-brim hats in honor of Bogart’s character Rick and shout out the dialogue in1975). But the recitation of the famous quotes of the movie reached beyond the culture of the Brattle of Cambridge. Many who have never even seen Casablanca, would recognize some of the quotes. For example: 
 
·       “…Here’s looking at you, kid.”
·       “Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine…”
·       “…If we stop breathing, we’ll die. If we stop fighting our enemies, the world will die.”

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·       “What is your nationality?” (Major Strausser) “…I’m a drunkard.” (Rick)
·       “We all try, you succeed.”
·       “Remember, this gun is pointed right at your heart.” (Rick) “…That’s my least vulnerable spot.”(Captain Renault)
·       “I’d bet they’re asleep in New York. I’d bet they’re asleep all over America…” (Rick)
·       “I’m the only cause I’m interested in.” (Rick)
·       “Louie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.” (Rick)
·       “…Who are you really, and what were you before? What did you do and what did you think, huh?” Rick “…We said no questions.” (Isla) 


·       If that plane leaves the ground and you’re not with him, you’ll regret it. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life.” (Rick)
·       “We’ll always have Paris . . . . Ilsa, I’m no good at being noble, but it doesn’t take much to see that the problems of three little people don’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. Someday you’ll understand that.” (Rick)  
If any of those famous quotes sound familiar, than welcome to the culture of Casablanca. Casablanca quotes are high in number on all the top 100 famous movies quote lists. The American Film Institute ranked, “Here’s looking at you, kid” as number 5 on the list. That spot put Casablanca higher than Citizen Kane, Star Wars, Streetcar Named Desire, and countless other classics. But more interestingly, even though quotes from Gone With the Wind, The Godfathers, and the Wizard of Oz filled in the spots above Casablanca, the list of 100 quotes includes six from Casablanca. The next winner for the most quotes being mention is the Wizard of Oz with three. Even the institute’s countdown of the greatest love stories of all time, Casablanca was ranked number one.  

  Culture in itself as pertaining to ethnicity is another key element that’s portrayed in the movie. As each character is introduced, the nationality is made evident or it’s inquired about. For example, when the German Major Strausser first meets Rick, he asks him about his nationality. Rick states in response that he is a drunkard, and the wit creates a comedic element, but more importantly this line emphasizes that Rick feels no sense of nationality, hence his cynical disinterest to get passionate on the current events of the world. The different characters represent several nationalities and ethnicities presented in the film, and those characters relations with the others are startlingly parallel to the national relationships between allies and countries at the time. 

For example, in the beginning of the film we meet the passionate young French woman at Rick’s bar, who clearly has feelings for Rick and is wondering why he didn’t come to visit her the previous night. Rick gives a very unsentimental cold response and she becomes clearly distraught to be so ignored. Likewise, France was extremely confused in their suffering when American forces did not immediately sympathize with them and come to their aid militarily following the German’s march on Paris.  


Representing neutral territory, Rick’s Café is a little bit like a melting pot – or salad bowl – of cultures. So many countries have representation through the characters in this film: America, Norway, France, Germany, Russia, Italy, Spain, Bulgaria, French Morocco and Czechoslovakia are the main ones represented. Nationality in Casablanca





 Casablanca has stood the test of time and has become a beloved social artifact for all the generations. It's impact in our culture will continue to live on as the themes of love and sacrifice never grow old. As time goes by, Casablanca will remain a beloved film for all ages.



 

Propaganda And Politics


Most have heard Casablanca be referenced to as war propaganda (see The Art of Persuasion for more on political propaganda) or as a movie with a political purpose, and in retrospect, the movie did reach out to the political culture of America. There was an emotional impact that resonated with viewers back then and arguably still now. Casablanca was extremely influential and has earned a valued position in American film history. The film addressed America’s crucial intervention with foreign affairs in WWII by starting a movement that encouraged Americans to get involved in the suffering and oppression of the world. Furthermore, the film criticized America’s quiet stance in response to undemocratic behavior being exercised in the world. 


Just like the characters in Casablanca, Americans were trying to resolve their commitment issues about the war. While they might’ve been concerned about what was going on in Europe, the war was not on their doorsteps, so they were as Bogart famously says, “…They’re asleep in New York – I bet they’re asleep all over America.” That quote specifically elicited a reaction; in this way, Casablanca was like an alarm clock that woke up American’s fervor to stamp out the evil of a fascist dictator and intervene with some international wartime politics.  Learn more here. 
Casablanca was powerful because it inspired the American community into revealing unvoiced emotions and sentiments about the important controversy occurring at the time. This was achieved through the political transformation Americans underwent being mirrored through that of Rick’s. From indifferent businessman to social activist to political actor to freedom fighter for the cause of democratic ideals, the political lesson Rick learns was the same for many Americans.  (For a further look on the details of this transformation see this article by Michael Belding)
Casablanca is considered propaganda, but propaganda has many levels and many journalistic points of interest that Casablanca is not trapped in. Learn more about propaganda here.   Casablanca is a unique artifact of propaganda because it is not guilty of the typical deception that propaganda usually succumbs to. Why Casablanca is different from other propaganda







History: The FULL Story

TIME SETTING: What the world looked like 


The history of Casablanca is a colorful one, first, of course because of its historical setting being WWII and second simply the history of the production and life of the film is interesting in of itself. To understand the latter, it’s important to set the stage with the first. Because there were so many ideas, opinions, and cultures that were expressed in Casablanca pertaining to WWII, it is critical to understand the environment the world was suffering under to better appreciate the thoughts reflected in the film. 




For more on WWII history see FASCISM



THE HISTORY OF THE FILM: From the beginning



The creation of Casablanca was a tale in itself. The story was birthed by writer Murray Burnett, who while traveling with his wife to visit some of her family in Europe in the late 30s, witnessed for himself the refugee movement that stranded thousands. During this trip, he accompanied a friend to a nightclub where a black man was playing at the piano. It was recorded that Burnett said, “Gee, what a setting for a play,” and then he wrote the play, Everybody comes to Rick’s. Jack Warner paid more for this play than had ever been paid for an unproduced play before in Hollywood’s history: $20,000. 








Rick: “Ilsa, I'm no good at being noble, but it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. Someday you'll understand that. Now, now. Here's looking at you, kid."




The Epstein brothers were the original writers and began to adapt the play for the screen.
Much of the attributes of the colorful characters along with the humor is attributed to their talent. At the time of the flashback within the movie, Hal B. Wallace, Director Curtiz’s right hand man who ran the studio, brought in Howard Koch, another notable film writer to write the second half. Koch is credited with adding the dimension of mysticism that Casablanca is now celebrated for. Koch saw the potential power of the film and believed in its potentiality as the message America needed to hear. “There were values,” he said, “that were worth making sacrifices for, and the film said it in a very entertaining way”. Koch’s artistic and visionary flare is what made Casablanca’s allure legendary. His touch gave the romantic flavor through the trials of Ilsa and her love for one man while being devoted to the cause of another. For more on the writers and the development of the screenplay and script, click here.


This incredible work of art, however, was a bit of a diamond in the rough. In the early 40s, movies didn't receive the months of attention they receive today. Studios never knew if a movie would be a hit or not, only that Hollywood had to keep up its revenue. Casablanca, although it starred famous "A List" actors, was not speculated to be any above average success, and it certainly wasn't expected to be the box office hit it turned out to be.  Casablanca ended up earning eight Oscar nominations and won three of them for best picture, best director, and best adapted screenplay. Learn more here.







Rick:   “Who are you really and what were you before? What did you do and what did you think?" 
Ilsa:   “We said no questions."

 

Casablanca was truly a perfect film, and most feel that the film’s intrigue can never be duplicated. Of course that hasn’t stopped people from trying. In 1946 the Marx brothers made a tribute called “A Night in Casablanca,” and in 1956 and 1981, Warner Brothers tried twice to start a series that captured the magic of Casablanca but failed both times. The only recreation of the film that received any worthy accolade was by Looney Tunes. The cartoon was called, “Carrotblanca,” with Bugs Bunny playing the cynical Rick, Tweety Bird playing Ugarte, and Daffy Duck playing Sam. As enjoyed as that tribute was, Casablanca still remains un-triumphed: “As time goes by, the cinema magic of Casablanca will cast its spell.” 









     


   Rick: "We'll always have Paris."


Symbols and Society



(Click above to listen to the iconic theme song while you browse)

In the 40s the world was divided up into societies: the societies of Europe and the society of the west. The society of the west was that of the American Patriots. As writer J. Hoberman would articulate, “Casablanca was the culture of the west, everything we were fighting for in World War II, brought together in one neat package.” Casablanca: An Essay Many critics who saw the translation of society being represented in the film praised the specific artistic roles that represented each group. Casablanca as an allegory


To be more in-depth on the articulation of society in the film, many sources have listed out the symbols in the movie, a powerful tool that the producers used to make Casablanca the vivid creation it is. The movie, flowing with symbolic idealisms, uses its symbols to portray the societies of the late 30s up until Pearl Harbor. The first symbols of course, are the characters themselves. By observing the personalities of the characters, it’s easy to see the symbolic matchup to societies. (Symbols and Semiotics:  themes and symbols & Casablanca Semiotics: Characters as symbols ) Although Casablanca is a fictional film, it can be used as historical evidence for past societies the same way other representational art forms do. Learn why Casablanca is an accurate assessment of past societies


By observing the personalities of the characters, it’s easy to see the symbolic matchup to societies. Lazlo represents the freedom fighter society. He represents those in the resistance willing to do whatever it takes to keep the world from a sick Nazi regime. Ilsa, as previously mentioned, represents the higher ideals in life. Her personality shows the plight of the society she represents: the innocent people who know what’s going on in Europe is wrong but doesn’t know how to respond. This decision of the heart was beautifully reflected in the love triangle. Not simply a romantic twist, the love triangle is critically important to the society Ilsa represents because it shows the conflict of purity in the 40s. The higher ideals are too pure to be polluted, so they can’t succumb to a corrupt dictator. However they must choose between how belief in such ideals will be expressed. Will Ilsa’s conscience decide to come forth like Rick, with an indifferent, keep to yourself attitude, or like Lazlo with passion and willingness to fight regardless of the cost? Themes and Symbols in Casablanca