Casablanca

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

the poster for the film

“Casablanca” is one of the greatest films ever made because it has everything from romance to action to a hint of a political thriller. This film speaks to audiences all over the world because it shows how people can change because they feel the need to do what is right. At the time of the release of this film World War II was happening. It was right in the middle of the war, and it no one knew who was going to win. It was a scary time for everyone involved, and the characters of this film show that. This film just resonate with the audiences because it has heart and soul. “Casablanca” was released at the perfect time in film history because this was the film that the world needed to keep fighting and keep going, hoping in the end that it was all going to be ok.

2)  Find a related article and summarize the content. 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/film/movie-news/casablanca-la-marseillaise-shared-paris-attack-terrorism/

Victor Lazlo telling the band to play "La Marseillaise"

The article that I found in relation to the film “Casablanca” talks about the recent Isis attacks on the city of Paris. The article talks about how in response to the attacks people all over the world on social media shared the love and support for Paris by showing the scene in Rick’s café of when the people sing the French national anthem, “La Marseillaise”. This scene showed that the world was there for the city of Paris after these horrific acts committed. The world was with Paris for these attacks, just like in the scene when the whole café gets up and drowns out the German’s song. The whole world, for a moment, were the people in Rick’s café singing “La Marseillaise” showing their love and support for the city of Paris.

 

The scene that was shared all over the world on social media after the attacks on Paris.

3) Apply the article to the film screened in class

Even today the film “Casablanca” resonate with audiences. After the brutal attack on the city of Paris on November 13, the whole world reached out to them by sharing the scene from “Casablanca” where the whole café sings “La Marseillaise”. This scene still effects people today. This scene of the movie shows the resolve for people standing up to bullies like the Germans in the 40’s, and Isis today. This scene was a great one to pick out and share around the world on social media because it shows that people will always band together in times of need. This scene was perfect to share for the support for Paris because, one it was the French National anthem being sung and two it shows how people can band together in times of need and how strong people can be as a group. This scene from the film “Casablanca” will forever be memorialized as to show how people will band together in harsh times, whether it be in the 1940's against the Germans, or now with Isis. 

The end of the film when, where Rick  lets Ilsa go for the good of the resistance

4) Write a critical analysis of the film

The beginning of the film, Rick has no country of  affiliation

The film “Casablanca” is one the greatest films ever made. It is not just the love story between Rick and Ilsa, it is so much more than that. This film is one of the greatest films ever made because it resonates with the human spirt to keep going and fighting, even when it seems like nothing is out there and we feel like giving up. Rick is a prime example of this. He, at first, wants nothing to do with the war and all the bad things going on in Casablanca and the world. He just wants to run his café, and keep to himself. But he sees the light when Ilsa comes back into his life, and gives him something to fight for. This film can be seen as a metaphor for America at the time of World War II. At the beginning of the war America was an isolationist country, as Rick was only out for himself at the beginning of the film. When America was attacked at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, they stopped being isolationists and joined the war. What brought Rick out from being in it only for himself was Ilsa. He wanted to make the world a better place for Ilsa to live in. He was going to fight for the little guy against the big bullies again. He was going to be that brave hero for her again, even if it meant giving her up.  This film is one of the greatest of all time because at first glance it is a romantic film, but when one takes a closer look at it, it has so many layers that one can peal back. This film spoke to audiences when it was first released, and still does today. That is a mark of a truly cinematic masterpiece.

One of the iconic lines from the film

CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM 



1) ( x ) I have not handed in this assignment for any other class. 



2) ( x ) If I reused any information from other papers I have written for other classes, I clearly explain that in the paper.

3) ( x ) If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used indentation and citation within the text. 



4) ( x ) I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper. 



5) ( x ) I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally read. 



6) ( x ) I have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be stated in another way. I cited the source within the paper and in the bibliography. 



7) ( x ) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or originality. 



8) ( x ) I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the research and ideas used in my paper.