Auteur Signature film form

• German expressionism – manipulation of shadow – Rick’s shadow is seen opening the safe – secretiveness
• tracking shot
• witty dialogue
• genre shift – war time, spy drama, comedy

Classical Hollywood film form

• illusion of space is manipulated despite not being a 4 walled room (pan, tracking shot, tilt and set design)
• sound completely cuts when Rick shuts the door
• control of space, editing, camera movement, sound editing is all around driving the narrative forward …
• depth of field is shallow – people in focus at the back, drinks in the front are not but comes into focus as they walk towards the drinks
• high contrast lighting
• command of space – wall or no wall
• 180 rule
• action reaction shots of Rick and Renault

Themes and Motifs

• corruption/gambling – Rick lets Renault win at roulette – foreshadowing of later

Political Context

• Rick ‘I stick my neck out for no one (/nobody?)’ – american isolation – Renault says ‘A wise foreign policy’ in return
• people trying to escape Casablanca

More

• we hear about Victor before we meet him just like we did with Rick