Released in 1942 in the midst of World War Two this film was not produced to be the classic it is but one in 50 being produced consecutively with cast and crew under contract trying to produce as many films as they could as Cinema was at its height in popularity. There are many factors that may have made this film a classic in American cinema from the A list cast(Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman) to the razor sharp script or that all the people involved where at the top of there game in the business which helped make every scene in this film iconic. The main reason for the success of this was that it was released at a time where America needed a boost in moral and the film showed how string the country was and how they would win the war.
The more you look at each scene in this film and break down the different lighting, camera and editing techniques going on you see how much hard work goes on behind the scenes and all this put together makes the film the classic it is.
Lighting is used very cleverly in the film. We first see its use in one of the first scenes in Ricks Café Americain. There is lots of use of high key lighting in this scene from lamp showing the joy and vibrancy of the place as it is not hiding from the dark but the shadows of the plants and other objects are also cleverly used looking like hands trying to get the people in the café and trying to keep them in Casablanca. As well, in this scene lighting is very important as occasionally in the back of the scene we will see a search light looking for people and this could represent how it is the light of reality trying to find the people in the shadows trying to escape Casablanca.
The way the characters are presented is also done well as we see all the good characters are all in light clothes, Rick being in a white tuxedo, and all the bad characters are in dark clothes, the Nazis in there uniform. Light and dark is also used around the characters to show shadows on there faces and how this represents they may be telling lies or that all is not as it seems.
The final scene of the film also is very effective with its use of techniques. Different camera shots and movements are used in the last scene with Rick and Ilsa. Close ups are used to show the emotion between them but this also shows the intimacy between them and the relationship between them and how us as the audience need to be very close to them to see this and can see the minute details between them. When the camera zooms in on the action it also signifies a key point, like in Ilsa's final realisation or when the Nazi try's to shoot Rick as well as when we see the plane flying away. The plane scene is also effective in framing as we see it going off screen into the fog which shows the uncertainty of the future and how we can't predict what will happen to the characters next. The use of the fog and uncertainty is also evident in the very final shot with Rick and Louis walking into the fog showing that we did not even know if rick will survive but the ending would be very patriotic for the audicne as a rousing National anthem plays as they are walking which would boost the morale of the audicne during World War Two.
The style of the film is also remanisant of film noir. Eventhough this film was made before the genre was created and popular it still has many tropes that are in film noir and could have potentially inspired it. For example the film uses nlots of low key lighting and shadows to create a reather uneasy atmosphere.The characters in Casablanca like Bogarts character first being seen smoking and drinking sitting in a bar. This also links to Bogart later being proliphic for appearing in film noir. As well the way the lines are delivered is in a way reffered to as hard boiled meaning the delivery is straight to the point.
The editing in this film is very simple being just straight cuts and done invisibly but this helps the films story flow and make the audience focus on the action going on and makes them career about the characters more. This also links to how the film was being produced in the classic Hollywood way, being one of many consecutively being churned out and how they did not have enough time for any big effects or flashy editing and all these elements make this film the icon it is.
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