Casablanca

1. Relate what was discussed in class or the text to the screening.

This week, we watched the film Casablanca, directed by Michael Curtiz. In class, we talked about how the film industry began a propaganda industry. Casablanca is an anti- Nazi propaganda film. In the film, there was even a scene in "Rick's Café Americain" where Nazi soldiers began singing to show their patriotism and everyone else began singing to show their patriotism. Eventually, the Nazi's realized they were being out sang and stopped singing and sat down.

2. Find a related article (on the film, director, studio, actor/actress, artistic content, etc.) and summarize the content.

The article, "The lessons of 'Casablanca' still apply, as time goes by" by Nicolaus Mills explains what was happening in the world when 'Casablanca' came out. "Few films have benefited as much from the real-world geopolitics surrounding them as "Casablanca," which opened on Thanksgiving 1942, when the nation was well into World War II, at New York's Hollywood Theater. Just 18 days earlier in Operation Torch, the Allies had invaded North Africa with a force of 65,000; among the cities they quickly captured was Casablanca." Everyone knew that 'Casablanca' needed to take advantage of this perfect opportunity. People wanted 'Casablanca.' People needed 'Casablanca.'

This film is extremely patriotic. Rick Blaine helps get his former lover, Ilsa Lund and her husband, the Czech resistance leader, Victor Laszlo escape safely to Lisbon by giving them stolen letters of transit. As Rick is saying goodbye, he tells Ilsa, "I'm no good at being noble, but it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world." He puts the well being of the country before his own.

Then the article relates 'Casablanca' back to present day. Mills says, "But what does resonate in our post-9/11 world is Rick's complexity. Rick is a loner who won't let his idealism get the better of his pragmatism."

http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/07/opinion/mills-casablanca/

3. Apply the article to the film screened in class.

The article shows the time of 1942, when all Hell was breaking lose and all that the people had left was their patriotism. They wanted to help each other break free of the Germans while also helping themselves, if they could. The entangled love triangle of Rick Blaine, Ilsa Lund and Victor Laszlo proves that patriotism is bigger than love and bigger than just an individual. Patriotism affects the whole country.

4. Write a critical analysis of the film, including your personal opinion, formed as a result of the screening, class discussions, text material and the article.

I think Casablanca is a good film because it's historically accurate. The story itself may not be true, but the Nazi's invading people's daily lives and the American dream is. Everyone wanted to go to America because they could start over, they could be free and safe. They would do any and everything to get to America. It would be almost impossible to be able to leave Casablanca without a letter of transit. Casablanca address all of this.