CASABLANCA : Introduction to Rick's Cafe

CASABLANCA

OPENING SCENE

 The film ‘Casablanca’ was directed by Micheal Curtiz and produced by Hal. B Wallis. The film is revealed to be a contemporary romance and drama film that stands out against other films produced during this time. The scene that the audience is being presented at the beginning is the interior and exterior of Rick’s Cafe, as it essentially represents what Casablanca is all about.

In the opening scene, we are presented with Rick’s Cafe being lively and illuminated. There is an expressive shadow created behind the suited man in white, emphasizing the mystery and shadiness of this man, possibly to portray Casablanca as a whole. Furthermore, there is a spotlight which pans above rick’s cafe, suggesting that there may be someone always on the run or guilty of something, as well as presenting ideas about the cafe and the people in it. 

Later on, the camera begins to move into Cafe, with the scene being at eye level respective to the characters giving the audience a first-hand experience of entering the Cafe. Moreover, we are introduced to tracking shots throughout the cafe, moving from the right to the left whilst zooming into significant conversations and parts of the Cafe. These tracking shots the liveliness of the Cafe, supported by the bright lighting shown in the cafe in which clearly highlights the warm colours and textures of the clothing and fabric. Subsequently, during the tracking shot, two characters stand out on-screen within a more low key area which contrasts the densely populated areas in the foreground, which introduces the shady side to the money exchanges in the Cafe. In addition, the camera then tracks into Sam, implying that he is a significant character in the film, further encapsulated through the way the light illuminates his presence. 

Eventually, the camera cuts to different conversations of exchanges throughout the cafe, all in which they sound to dislike Casablanca, distressed in the situation they are currently in, and shady exchanges of money in hopes of getting a ticket out of Casablanca. There’s a variance of accents all of which are from different parts of European backgrounds, showing the range of the emergency. At the end of the clip, we are shown the Nazi soldiers at the back of two men in white, which encapsulates the idea of the German soldiers being menacing compared to them. Following this, the music dims down enabling the audience to listen to the dialogue, which highlights the importance of it in this film.

Subsequently, we are introduced to Rick, by being an insight into what his characteristics and personality are like without the portrayal of his face. Further, we are demonstrated little features of him. Additionally, we are shown rick playing chess, with his finger on the bishop in which resembles his clothing. In the context of chess, the bishop can only move diagonally until it meets an obstacle, and it cannot jump over other pieces. From this, I can infer that the bishop could signify rick himself, as he doesn’t go over obstacles and avoids them instead. Although, when he encounters an obstacle he cannot avoid it any longer. 

Further on, the camera positions in a manner in which we are able to see rick as a person. In the last shot, we are revealed that he was playing chess by himself, portraying him as a singular person and suggesting how he may not associate himself with others.