Michael Curtiz – Auteur

• the way that he utilises and moves the camera
• German expressionism – shadows
• manipulation of lighting
• Humphrey Boggart
• Hal Wallis
• many people think that he doesn’t have a common theme, but the problem is he made over 170 films in many genres and most were studio assignments
• Casablanca is a mix of genres that he had done before

Classical Hollywood Style

• Films started being made in/by studios (?)
• continuity editing
• 180 rule
• 30 rule
• invisible cuts (shot to reverse shot)
• stuck within genre
• characters had definable traits
• characters had psychological motivation
• at the introduction of sound(?)
• narrative logic, continuity and linearity, cinematic space
• driven by story
• immersed in the film

Wartime Hollywood

• Casablanca – escapism and propaganda – join war, run to america
• Casablanca – budget – fake plane etc
• Hollywood used as propaganda – increased solider morale and recruitment
• Star actors and actresses led recruitment (?)
• Money – encouraged to make films but shootings were cut (?)
• Free french against Vichy
• ‘I stick my neck out for nobody’ – American isolation
• Vichy government co-operated with Nazi Germany
• European refugee crisis – trying to escape Nazis and economic crisis