Why Is Casablanca An Historical Evidence

Throughout its existence, Hollywood has sought to draw audiences’ eyes with drama, beauty, and above all, exaggeration. Because of this, major films have frequently been subject to accusations of exoticism, and of perpetuating racial and regional stereotypes. Steve Rose of The Guardian writes, “…movies are teaching children the finer points of racial prejudice before they 've even learned to read” (Rose 2014). But is the situation truly so dire? A closer examination of Hollywood’s big hits is necessary. A comparison of two films in similar settings, one from 1958 and the other from 1995, provides a unique perspective: the

Robert A. Rosenstone certainly has a critical eye for films based on historic people and events. He captures the spirit of various discussions we’ve had in our Film As Social History class over the course of the semester. In an excerpt from his book, Visions of the Past, he critically examines historical film, and how its dramatic representations of the past shape our own perceptions. Some points of particular interest included exaggerated history films being more engaging than factually based ones, films can focus on groups as opposed to individuals, and sensory and emotional emphasis in films, “...altering our very sense of the past,” (Rosenstone, Excerpt Pg. 2). Inherit the Wind, Norma Rae, and Good Night, and Good Luck all provide evidence for and against Rosenstone’s perspective.

The movie Casablanca take place in a town called Casablanca in Morocco in the beginning of WWII. Some important characters in Casablanca are Rick Blaine, Ilsa Lund, and Victor Laszlo. Rick is the main protagonist in the film. He is known for being anti-fascist and fighting in the Spanish civil war. He falls in love with Ilsa however she leaves him at the train station which breaks his heart. During the movie, he jeopardies his happiness for the good.

Ilsa offers to pick up their romance where they left off buy simply going back to America and leaving her husband, Lazlo, in Casablanca. Rick came to Casablanca to get away from everything and start a new life where no one knows him. Throughout the film Ricks emotions gradually gets the better of him. Rick convinces Renault to let Laszlo go, by telling him that he may have a chance to have him locked up for good if he finds another charge, instead of the “petty charge.” At the end he decides to do the selfless thing and help Lazlo and Ilsa get away and does not part them. He realizes he cannot stomach her not being with Laszlo and gives up ever being with her

When viewing films of the past, we then form a “counter-discourse” because we can compare it to modern day views and beliefs. The article, “Inventing Historical Truth on the Silver Screen,” by Robert Rosenstone, explains having a current perspective on history and how we interpret it. Written historical documents can only be backed up by truth so far. These films Amistad, 1776, and The Black Robe, can help form ideas of what might have happened, but that is what they are used for, to help mold and shape historical events to the present day.

Rick is in Casablanca to overcome his heart brake from Ilsa. However, instead of confronting his feelings and memories, Rick suppresses them and lives an emotionally detached life; “I stick my neck out for nobody” (Casablanca).

After comparing and contrasting observations, the discussion could then shift to trying to critically understand the film as a cultural reflection of the period by discussing the historical context. Examining why the American western was so popular to film audiences and producers during the mid-to-late 20th century may help explore whether these films reflected a certain zeitgeist. Some questions that the movies raise are: How does the western reflect 20th century politics? Which 20th century values are portrayed within these films? Do these films help contribute to a consensus of support around America’s status as a

How have representations of race and racism changed in the Western genre and why? Carefully consider dominant ideologies of the production eras of the films.

Throughout the paper I am going to provide the comparison between the film and the novel with arguments, facts and proven cites from both sources. Throughout these points I will explain why I believe that the book is better in a sense than the film and provide details why. Lastly, I am going to reinforce the arguments I proved and explain the matters of it, as well as the value of the case studies.

Since the times of silent films, movies have been used to depict American society and history. As advancements in technology have been created, films have become more accurate but have also added more dramatizations to certain eras of history. Movies are made for entertainment, but how far will Hollywood go in order to appeal to the public? One era that has been portrayed a great deal in films is drug trafficking in the 1970’s. This era signified the beginning of America’s ongoing war with drugs. The scandalous lives of smugglers inspired Hollywood directors to revisit the era many times in various films. Movies like Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas, Ted Bemme’s Blow, and Ridley Scott’s American Gangster are all based on the

Hollywood v. History. Many believe that films concerning historical events and figures can accurately present the past. How trustworthy are these glamorous depictions of yesteryear? Oftentimes, filmmakers crave the action of past times, but tend to leave out some of the facts.

While the element of romance in the film is evident between Ilsa and Rick, we see the growth of Rick’s character as a much more striking element, as he goes from completely neutral to being against the nazis. Furthermore, Rick’s journey illustrates how historical context of the time, World War II, influences characterization, as he grows into a heroic and noble character, one most Americans dream of being.

Things portrayed in periodicals and broadcasts becomes the norm in movies. The transition from instantaneous media to costly cinematic projects indicates that American society has been strongly manipulated to believe the stereotypes. The initial political purpose to demean African American in midst of

Casablanca, is a classic film that came out in 1942, and during that time World War II was happening. This film had many awards that it was nominated for due to its wonderful filming and the main theme of the film. While thoroughly watching the movie, it was easy to pick up that it was set during the war time and that the Germans were invading other countries. Rick was settled in Casablanca, and had a nightclub where people would go to simply hang out. One night while at the club his ex-lover walked in unexpectedly after ghosting him when she was supposed to leave Paris with him. Her walking in with another man brought back the questions of why Ilsa disappeared on the day that they were supposed to had fled Paris.

When the topic for the research paper was decided on finding out how the cultural differences in a movie and its remake versions are dealt with by film makers , it was astonishing to find many similar works which were already done related to this topic. This proved that many observed films rather than just watching it and were curious to learn the potential of films for holding up the cultural values and beliefs of a particular society. In addition to this, all this studies were a sneak peek into the ways in which films act as a medium for reinforcing the norms of a particular society, also how films create and uphold the popular culture.