Journal #2

For my second journal assignment, I chose to watch the movie Casablanca. Made in 1942, the movie is about Rick Blaine (played by Humphrey Bogart), an American stranded in Casablanca, a city in Morocco filled with French refugees during World War II, who reunites with his lost love Ilsa Lund (played by Ingrid Bergman) and her rebel husband Victor Lazlo (played by Paul Henreid), and how Rick must deal with the desicion of either letting them escape or holding them both in the town of misery. The film was directed by Michael Curtiz and was written by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison. The basic plot of the movie is that the Germans have occupied the French city of Casablanca and have one mission-- to capture Victor Lazlo and not allow him to leave Casablanca. There is, however, one flaw to this plan. There are two visas availible to allow the owners to get back to their home country, which in Casablanca, would be like a free-pass to heaven. When the government officials reach well-known and appreciated club owner Rick. they ask him for his help. Rick agrees to try to extend Lazlo's visit as long as possible but what the officials do not know is that Rick is the one with the visas. Things become complicated when Lazlo arrives with Rick's estranged lover, Ilsa Lund. The viewer learns that Rick and Ilsa fell in love in Paris before the war started and we planned to get married but Ilsa had never showed up at the train station, leaving Rick wondering if she really did love him. The main conflict is whether or not Rick should give the visas to Ilsa and Victor or escape from Casablanca himself. The dialogue is very entertaining, especially between Bogart and Bergman. Their chemistry is present and catches the audience's attention. All the actors potray their roles well. Bogart clearly is the powerhouse. Low-key lighting is constant throughout the movie, making the characters and their shadows look depressed and lonely. There are also many close-ups on Bogart and Bergman. Their emotion is evident and clear to see on the screen. One scene that stuck out to me was in Rick's flashback of his affair with Ilsa. The two were planning their get-away from Paris and Ilsa had dropped and broken a glass. It's a symbol that the plan was flawed and Ilsa couldn't make that promise to Rick. The costumes are from the 1940's. There are a lot of suits for men and dresses for women. Sounds are very diagetic. The beginning has a narrative of the war. Overall, Casablanca is a good movie and I'd recommend it for its storyline and entertainment.