What one can say about Casablanca other than a wonderful classic film? An inspirational, great love story, which can appeal to both men and women, was directed by Michael Curtiz. It is a multi-genre film based on Murray Burnett and Joan Alison’s unproduced play, “Everybody comes to Rick’s”. It is filmed in the French Colony in Casablanca, Morrocco during World War II. It is a story about a love triangle between two men and a beautiful woman. It is one of the classic films made in the history. Its contribution to the film world is abundant.
This theory (Auteur theory), or style of film making differs from Genre theory, and as a consequence, it is very rare for a classic film to be part of a genre” (Moore-Bridger Par. 4). Casablanca received what it truly deserved, Oscar awards for Best Screenplay, Best Director, And Best Picture. The masterpiece, classic film Casablanca, is a romantic melodrama, which mostly takes place in Rick’s Cafe. Rick (Humphrey Bogart), who is the main male character is a serious kind of person, Lisa (Ingrid Bergman), a main female character, a helpless woman who is stuck between two men.
In the film mainly the story is that, Rick owns a cafe and he saw his love Lisa in his cafe with another man. Lisa met Sam a pianist and asked for the old song “As time Goes By” and by listening to that song Rick came and stopped the song. Rick asked Sam why did he played they even he denied for it before. Lisa and Rick met, he broke his rule of never drink with customers and they talked about their past later. Lisa once went to Rick’s apartment to get the letters so that they can leave for Lisbon. Lisa explained why she left him in Paris and Rick forgave her.
At the end Rick sent Lisa and her husband to Lisbon. A beautiful creation, music, settings, a story of romance and politics was made with day to day screenplay. This film has been edited multiple times and the masterpiece created after changing several conclusions and adding a scene or two in the film. The film screenplay made an outstanding outcome. The actors Rick and Lisa acted very well in the film. ” Rick and other characters in Casablanca effectively and skillfully dreamatize the balancing of the two dimensions of the ordinary and the extraordinary” (Corrign, Paricia Par. ).
The way characters in the film acted and created and positive environment was both ordinary and extraordinary at the same time as it was above the limit of excellence. Ebert said in his article that, Rick’s personal code was, “I stick my neck for nobody” (Casablanca). Rick was a straightforward person, He can forgive his customers, he was helping his customer as well. Once a girl came to Rick and said, they wanted to go America for a better future, but they don’t have money. Rick helped her husband in gambling and they won the big amount.
That couple became happy and thanked Rick. “Curtiz was a well-respected film-respected film maker and his work on Casablanca was first rate, but, few non-cineastas associate his name with this picture” (Berardinelli Par. 8). Curtiz was a well experienced, respectful director. He knew all the techniques and skills of film making. He directed this film after dealing with several difficulties as it was made with different conclusions and at the last they became convinced with the conclusion.
While Curtiz was making this film he had no idea that this film will go above all the hit classic films of all the time. Screenplay of the film was written by different people but Curtiz wanted the best one so he decided to kept it aside till it gets a perfect ending. At the end after Lisa left Rick said to Louie that,” I think it is a starting of a beautiful friendship”(Casablanca). Rick and Louie became good friends as Louie became a true patriot. “Character development follows four general schemes: external and internal changes and progressive and regressive developments” (Corrign, Paricia Par. ).
External change appears in looks, interior change defines behavior of a character, improvement in a character, progressive developments reflects progess in a character and regressive development defines as a person behaving such a way that he\she used to do in the past. These developments are the center of a screenplay. While writing script the author creates characters out of these developments. In this film Rick was a progressive character as he forgot about his past and open his own cafe in north Africa.
Lisa’s character was regressive as he was remembering her past with Rick. Every character belongs to one of these character development in every film. Casablanca defines true value of sacrifice and achievement. This film received Oscar awards for its wonderful screenplay, directions, pictures and nominations. This film can not complete without Bergman and Bogart. This film is an inspirational and classic film ever made in the history. Position of this film is still stayed in top list of classic films.
