Page 326 - DENG501_LITERARY_CRITICISM_AND_THEORIES

Literary Criticism and Theories

Notes of archetypes, and for its characters having questionable psychological credibility, probably because
of its somewhat haphazard production, with the script still being written while shooting was
underway (see Umberto Eco: ‘Casablanca: Cult Movies and Intertextual Collage’ (1985) quoted in
article by Krin Gabbard in www.jahsonic.com). Also, its visual style is nothing special, and many
modern viewers will find the unsubtle propaganda messages rather distracting, if understandable
given when it was made. (For example: (1) Ferrare says to Rick ‘When will you realize that in this
world today, isolationism is no longer a practical policy? ’(13.50); (2) Having refused to betray
resistance leaders Laszlo says to Strasser: ‘And what if you track down these men and kill them?
What if you murdered all of us? From every corner of your Republic thousands would rise to take
our places. Even Nazis can’t kill that fast.’ (50.58); (3) Renault kicking the Vichy water bottle into
a waste bin (1:37.08).)
But its strengths lie in its spare, cynical dialogue replete with recognisable one-liners, allied to a
tightly constructed plot and narrative structure that focuses the audience’s attention on a process
of revelation by introducing unresolved clues which prompt the spectator to anticipate events
they do not yet understand. At the same time the excellent cinematography and the faultless
acting persuade us that the film is presenting the most readily comprehensible depiction of events.
This in turn encourages viewers to concentrate on following the plot and identifying with the
characters as they deal with the crisis that unfolds. Richard Maltby says ‘In Casablanca the audience
is attached to the film by the process of the revealing of the story, not by the facts of the story’s
revelations, … and ‘the ordering of events attaches the spectator emotionally to its characters as
benevolent sources of meaning and significance.’
One example of the revelatory narrative is the introduction of Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) and the
disclosure of her previous relationship with Rick. Up to this point the focus has been on the
setting, Rick’s cynical isolationism, and the opening plot involving theft of the coveted letters of
transit. Ilsa and Laszlo are first seen entering Ricks café (24.15) in a long medium tracking shot
which takes them past Sam at the piano. Sam and Ilsa appear to recognise one another; Sam looks
worried and shakes his head. Ilsa and Laszlo are joined by Renault, and Ilsa asks him about Sam:
‘somewhere I’ve seen him’, a remark whose significance is pointed up by its delivery in extreme
close-up. Renault supplies an enigmatic description of Rick and its impact on Ilsa is again shown
in close-up. The group is joined by Major Strasser and the conversation moves on, but the disruptive
influence of Rick’s likely presence on Ilsa is registered by the repetition of close shots of Bergman,
separating her from the men’s discussion. These signals are not immediately pursued, but once
Ilsa is left alone at her table she calls Sam to join her. He tells her that Rick has another girlfriend,
but Ilsa is unconvinced and asks him to play As Time Goes By, for old times’ sake (30.53). A song
whose associations are not revealed until later (it features in the scene in the Paris bar in the
flashback sequence (41.00)) is made significant by it being played over a still, melancholic close-up
of Bergman that lasts for 15 seconds (31.27 to 31.52), noticeably longer than any previous shot.
As Time Goes By was originally written for a 1931 Broadway show and would have been well
known to 1943 audiences, enhancing their understanding of Ilsa and Rick’s reaction to it. It is
subsequently used as linking music; many commentators on Casablanca cite the subliminal but
nostalgically potent music, both diegetic and non-diegetic, as a key factor in its success. As well as
As Time Goes By it includes several popular 1940s big band tunes including It Had To Be You,
Shine, and the appropriately titled You Got Trouble (Knock On Wood) which Sam performs in full
to the café clientele.
The existence of a bond between Rick and Ilsa is confirmed when As Time Goes By draws Rick to
the table, and by the inter-cutting of extreme close-ups of their faces reinforced by a musical pulse
on the sound track to signal a dramatic event. (Musical pointers to emphasise tense moments are
used sparingly in Casablanca, making this one more noticeable.) This first close-up of Bogart in
the film is significant – slightly closer than normal, using a wider angle lens than previously, with
the viewpoint slightly above Bogart’s eyeline. The audience would have subliminally registered
these variations from the norm and assume they have meaning – in this case surprise and discomfort
- without them being articulated explicitly, or markedly disrupting the flow of images. Maltby
sums it up neatly: ‘At this point, with the nature of their involvement completely unstated by the

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