Casablanca, directed in 1942 by Michael Curtiz, has qualities that are both Classical Hollywood Narrative or Art Cinema. These film structures can be compared to literary formalism, but they also reflect other frameworks such as feminism and postmodernism. Casablanca sees Art Cinema and Classical Hollywood Narrative blending in a way that guides the characters and tells the story. Casablanca shows the changing standard of filmmaking in that time period. It is easy to see the Classical Hollywood Narrative in the film. The Classical Hollywood narrative was and probably still is the standard for Hollywood movies and films. Casablanca’s main components are listed below. Eshowsky.com narrowed down the list to a couple of key components. Some of these components include elision. Cause and effect. Motivation. Hero/protagonist. Narrative closure. The film’s hero/protagonist, often the protagonist, is often surrounded and supported by many secondary characters. The film’s moral is intended to encourage us to support our hero/protagonist as he pursues his goals. Elision is a type of economical editing that requires each scene to connect unambiguously with its next. Each action must be immediately explained for the audience. Elision refers to the ability to connect scenes with each other, and to explain motivation and narrative closure. Motivation refers to the fact that every bit of dialogue, action, and scene in Classical Hollywood Narrative is conjured to create an ending. There is no reason why something happens. Narrative closure is used to determine the final ending. It makes it clear that there is no mystery and everyone knows what it means. These movies usually have happy endings. Casablanca shows how art cinema flourished in the 1960s and 1970s. Filmreference.com has a concise and reliable article about the narrative system. The essence of art cinema is the opposite from Classical Hollywood Narrative. This basically consists authorial expression and non-linear narrative structure. There’s also an emphasis on character psychology and realistic storytelling. The endings often lack closure and are often unclear. It aims to give a more true representation of human relationships. Casablanca’s narrative structure is Classical Hollywood Narrative. Thus, any experiments in language or plotting are subtle and in keeping with the overall film’s larger context. They need to be noticed unless the viewer is familiar with the details. In the film, Rick’s moral dilemma, particularly with Captain Renaud is a clear example of both experimentation as well as a slight streak of postmodernism. Rick, as we see, is a cold and tormented character. The chief of police is his strained friend. This sneaky man cooperates with Nazis in order to not be hassled. Renaud changes his allegiances to Rick when he is victorious against the Nazi threat. Rick actually accepts Renaud’s friendship, rather than rebuking him. Postmodernism is famous for its character ambiguity. A new historical perspective can help us see the American as the reluctant hero, Victor Lazlo as the nobler man, and France’s Frenchman the weasel as secondary characters. Victor Lazlo is the hero of the story. Lazlo is the protagonist in a Classical film. Rick is imperfect and is therefore the main character. Lazlo asks Rick about his morality as well as his sympathy for the poor. We see art cinema as a service to the Classical Hollywood Story. Rick is asked questions by Lazlo about his true sense of morality and sympathy for the underdog. This is not unusual in CHN. However the hero/protagonist normally exhibits these qualities from beginning. Rick could be a representative of the United States as it views the Nazis. Rick attempts to remain neutral as long as possible until war is declared. The United States tried to avoid the theatre of war until Japan forced them into it. Lazlo could easily be seen as a symbol of the American mentality and its plight to save occupied countries. Rick could thus be used to represent the American participation in the war. The film may even be a call to arms for Americans. This is because it was made in 1942, just before America entered World War Two. This framework suggests that film experimentation may be used to manipulate the public for propaganda purposes. A similar issue is character psychology. It is used in the service of the overall Classical story structure. The film doesn’t give much insight into the psyches of its characters. Rick is an exception to this rule. His psychological state helps with the development of the story. Rick is reminiscing about Elsa’s death and the way it all ended. This is called montage. It was an American way to use footage to create meaning and emotion. This footage shows the film’s hands-on experimentation. Rick is shown to be emotionally and morally confused, and he is also lovesick. His psychology allows us to see the direction of the film and Elsa is heavily involved in his quest. This movie’s introduction of this story via character psychology is a slight departure from traditional filmmaking techniques. However, it reinforces the Classical Hollywood Narrative that is so prevalent in the movie. Elsa’s framing and lighting are examples of the pure Classical Hollywood Narrative. The scene in which Sam plays “As Time Goes By” shows a close-up shot of Elsa. Elsa’s feminine features are highlighted in a subtle, yet classic way. Her beauty is praised throughout the film as her greatest asset. You could argue that this scene, with its cinematography and lighting, is representative of Elsa as she plays throughout the movie. Rick can decide whether or not to assist Lazlo. She also claims she is too confused. She is nothing more that a pretty, attractive face. However, when she faces a challenge, she will buckle and rely on men. It is not surprising that she was photographed in a close-up because her most appealing quality is her appearance. This may seem to be a misinterpretation of beauty, but it’s actually a common technique used for portraying beauty. It can be difficult to see the difference between a particular scene and a different film framework. Victor Lazlo’s and Elsa’s flight on a plane can be taken to mean that they are following Art Cinema. It is difficult to see the ending of the scene and there is no clear story. The film’s ending is the result of motivation and cause-and-effect, which are typical of Classical Hollywood Narrative. It’s not what every character expected, but it was determined from the beginning. Rick also needs it to be fulfilled because it is the right decision. The bittersweet ending does indeed resemble Art Cinema. The movie’s events all connect to create a clear ending. This film is a slight shift toward a different style in cinematic story-telling. We are partially saddened by Elsa’s and Rick’s separation, we feel hopeful over Lazlo and are left hanging with Captain Renaud. Casablanca was produced at the dawn of a new era in film-making. It also took its inspiration from Everybody Comes to Rick’s (a play by Murray Burnett), which was at the transition point between modernisms and postmodernism. Casablanca employs experimentation to serve the Classical Hollywood Narrative format. Casablanca’s use these two styles speaks volumes about Casablanca and the time period it was made in. 1. Curtiz, Michael, dir. Casablanca. Prod. Hall B. Wallis’s name. 1942. MGM, 1997. DVD- ROM. 2. Eshowsky, “The Classical Hollywood Narrative Systems.” N.p., n.d. Web. May 11, 2010 <: http://www.eshowsky.com/basic-introduction/classic-hollywood- narrative-systemchns2.html.>. 3. The distinguishing features of art cinema in terms of its text. N.p., n.d. Web. May 11, 2010.

.