This movie is a classic for a reason. When one watches Casablanca for the first time, it is aweing and oddly familiar. The reason it seems strangely familiar is Casablanca influenced pop culture in America after its release. We all have heard, “Hears looking at you kid.” Cartoons and mob movies alike have depictions of the beady-eyed fellow named Ugarte. Although, the entire movie is captivating, there is one scene, which stands above the rest. The scene begins with the Germans taking over the piano and singing a German anthem. Then, Laszlo challenges the Germans by getting the band to play “La Marseillaise,” which was the national anthem for France after the French Revolutionary Wars. What happens next is a gripping scene of events. I will …show more content…
The whole café is lit up with light embodying the triumphant French anthem overtaking the Germans. There are multiple close-up shots of the people singing “La Marseillaise.” These close-up shots are illustrating the passion these people have when singing the French anthem. One women is even crying during the song. The dominant contrasts of these shots are effortless to point out; after all, most of them are close-ups. Since it is black and white, the director uses lighting and character placement to show the dominant contrast. Laszlo’s face is the dominant contrast of the people singing the French anthem. Laszlo is not the dominant specifically because of the lighting, although, it does help. Considering he is in the foreground, the eye moves to him first, then, the crowd of people. On the opposite side, there are full shots of the Germans, which make them detached from the rest of the café. Slowly, the Germans sit down at the tables signifying there …show more content…
There is a stark contrast from earlier in the day. Everything is quiet and still. The director is using low-key lighting. The shadows are everywhere now. The shadows portray the Germans around every corner. Even the way Rick and the waiters speak characterizes this. They speak little about where they are going, for fear the wrong person might over hear it. As Rick enters his office, Ilsa is there. This whole scene uses a combination of over-the-shoulder, close-up, and medium shots. These angles display the emotion between the two. There are several times were Rick walks away from Ilsa. The character proxemics moves between intimate and social. Then, back to intimate again. After the gun fiasco, Ilsa turns her back on the camera and Rick. This tells us that she does not want to show her emotions to him. She is embarrassed to some degree to show Rick how she truly