Casablanca Close-Up (“Leaving Rick’s Sequence)

Overview –

In this scene, we see that Ilsa and Sam have a past, and are connected through the song As Time Goes By, and Sam, for some reason, wishes for Ilsa to avoid Rick. Rick and Ilsa are reunited, although in the film this is the first time that we see them together. Rick is also introduced to Lazlo in the process. He and Ilsa reminisce over memories we, the audience, do not yet know of in full detail, making their history mysterious and intriguing the audience. Lazlo and Ilsa leave as there is a curfew in Casablanca.

Key Elements:

Cinematography –

Ingrid Bergman believed that one side of her face looked better than the other, and this affects how she is presented in the film, mostly from one side of her face more than the other, to maintain her presentation of an elegant, glamorous film star. This is also seen in how she is often presented in mid shots or close ups. In these, unlike closeups of Rick and male characters in the film, she is in focus whereas the background of the shot isn’t, bringing the audiences focus in on her.

To bring her reaction to our attention, a drawn out close up of Ilsa is used to show her emotional reaction to the song, As Time Goes By. This makes us connect and sympathise with her, manipulating them to evoke an emotional reaction to the film, and it keeps our attention on her presentation.

When Rick enters the scene, he is framed within a frame by an arch overhead through a low-angle shot as he walks into the light, making a dramatic entrance to signify his importance and status as a large star in the Warner Bros. Stable of actors.

As Renault and Lazlo enter the shot of Rick and Ilsa looking at each other, the camera pans to track their movements and set up a four shot, keeping them all in frame. It shot reverse shots between close ups of Rick and Lazlo to signify the importance of their small interaction, showing that both men have reputations that precede them. The actors are choreographed so that everything in frame that matters is visible to the audience, such as when Renault look back to call a waiter, and Lazlo has moved out of the way for us to see who Renault is speaking to much farther back in frame. The camera slowly and smoothly pedestals down as the actors sit, bringing us into their conversation. Then it cuts to a 3 shot of Ilsa, Renault and Lazlo to sin gift what Renault is saying to Ilsa. An over the shoulder shot from behind Ilsa looking at Rick brings our attention to their interaction and signifies its importance, and Ilsa is when in a close up to show her glamour and beauty, shown from the side with an above key and fill light illuminating her soft face and makeup. The key light on Rick is dimmer, so that more of the left side of his face is in shadow, presenting him as more mysterious, masculine, weathered and experienced. To prevent cutting between the 3, Ilsa, Renault and Lazlo are shown together in a 3 shot to allow us to look at whoever is speaking in a single moment, and who to. The camera rises again as they do, and the waiter is shown just between Renault and Lazlo. It finally drops again as Rick sits after the others have left and dolly’s into a mid shot of him, bringing our attention to his expression and again signifying the importance of his mysterious past relationship with Ilsa. He all but looks at the camera to display his emotions to the audience.

Editing –

The conversations in this sequence are done in Classical Hollywood style, shot reverse shots done to show who is important in a certain moment, such as Sam when he pleads Ilsa to leave Rick alone. For most of this conversation, the camera faces Ilsa through an over the shoulder shot from behind Sam, to bring our attention to her glamorous presentation.

Sound –

When Rick notices Ilsa, a sudden and deep note in the non-diegetic composed score signifies her importance/connection to him, catching the audiences attention and intriguing them in the history of the characters.

Mise-En-Scen –

Alongside her bright costume and pristine makeup, Ilsa is decorated by elaborate jewellery, one on her outfit and her earrings too. These reflect light in small, dazzling items of the frame, catching Ilsa in the audiences eyes more and complementing the catch lights illuminating her eyes.

While Rick has a classy and pristine suit, his skin is more wrinkly and rugged than Ilsa’s, and he is typically shown is less light and in deep focus close ups to make him stand out less than her.

Performance –

Humphrey Bogart almost always plays the same person, himself, making him more solidified and recognisable, even iconic as a star in the studio stystem, which Warner Bros. Wished to coast in this film through his dialogue, presentation and actions.

Context:

The studio makes efforts to utilise the set of Rick’s cafe to its fullest. It is an expansive and highly designed and detailed set, so about two thirds of the film take place in it. Camera movements and actor choreography are carefully done to make the set clear and immersive for the audience.

The film is a romance film as well as an interventionist piece. Therefore, it tries to affect the audience to evoke emotions and pull on the heartstrings. At its centre, it is melodramatic, and the script and production are done to manipulate the audience and make them feel certain things. This can be seen in this sequence through the dialogue, which is romantic, poetic and melodramatic as Rick and Ilsa look back on their past, and through the non-diegetic composed score, which has a somber, dramatic tone that is meant to evoke sadness in the audience to make them connect and sympathise with the protagonists of the film.

Representations and Aesthetics:

Auteur: