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CASABLANCA : Film Form analysis 1

 QUESTION - Analyse how the following elements of film form are used to create meaning and guide audience response ( understanding of narrative, setting,characters , plot, themes etc. ) in the  " Introduction to Rick's Bar " sequence.


Cinematography 

-As we start the scene the camera films the outside of the bar, with the only lighting shown is the sign of the bar and the light of the watch tower shining past the entrance every couple seconds.

-The camera enters the bar like it is within our point of view as it is filming at an average eye level.

-As the camera enters the bar is travels from the entrance (right to left) deeper into the bar, showing the whole environment.

Editing 

-The cuts and editing begins when we enter the bar. As the camera moves from the door to rick's office, the camera cuts from person to person and conversation to conversation to show the audience what life in Casablanca is like and what rick's bar is used for and what type of people come there.

Mise-en-scene

-There is a point in the opening scene where there are two men talking about how they want to get out of Casablanca, and the element of mise-en-scene is the contrast in their outfits. This is shown by the fact that the one man talking about how he wants to leave Casablanca is wearing an all black suit , where as the man that doesn't really mind and is having a good time is wearing an all white suit. This shows contrast in the fact that the before we even hear the conversation we can see the emotion of the 2 characters and their thoughts on their environment.

Sound

-The main sound you hear is the music of Sam singing and playing the piano for the audience. We first hear it from the shot of the bar from the outside, however the sound is quiet muffled, which creates a kind of realistic feeling as we are hearing the sound from the outside and as the camera moves inside it gets louder, which suggests that the camera is our point of view, as if we were someone going into the bar. The sound muffled from the outside also suggests that the music is very loud and that people are having a good time as the sound of talking and people singing is finding its way outside.

-The dialogue of this scene is very important as it gives the audience understanding of what casablanca is really like and what type of people actually come to Rick' bar. One main piece of dialogue is the conversation between a classy women and a salesman, and in this cross between characters, we realise that many people come here for business to get money to afford to leave casablanca, and we realise this by the fact that the woman is trying to sell her diamonds to the man for a certain price, however the man lowers the price and states that everybody sells diamond here so it's worthless. This suggests that everyone has the same idea of selling their possessions for money to eventually leave Casablanca

Performance

-It seems as everybody is having a good time in the bar especially the piano player, Sam as he is sing with a smile on his face and is dancing in rhythm as he is playing the son, this gives the audience an idea that Rick's bar is a positive place to be.

-Going back to the conversation with the 2 men about how one wants to leave casablanca, we can also tell that he is miserable due to his posture and how he is slouched down and is looking at the floor, giving the audience a sense of negativity about Casablanca


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