Sacrifice In Humphrey Bogart's Casablanca

Few movies in today's day and age display prominent themes of love and sacrifice that classic films were able to capture so flawlessly. Films such as Casablanca, by Michael Curtiz, were able to captivate their audiences with their array of magnificent actors and sublime cinematography that not only leave their viewers in awe, but also make them contemplate the world around them in a different manner. Actor Humphrey Bogart, who stars as Rick Blaine, an equivocal night club owner in the film, and actors Ingrid Bergman and Paul Henreid, Ilsa and Victor, are key components of what made this film into a classic. Through the acting of this film, its music, and its use of lighting, Casablanca is easily amongst the most notable classics films of American

Rick Blaine and Ilsa Lund, played by Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, were profoundly intricate and complex characters. The way the two actors interacted within the film the audience could feel the tension, and the genuine emotions between them. According to one source, “Because of their great acting, the acting where the actors experience genuine emotions that their audiences could clearly see and feel” (Comey 28). From the moment viewers first see Ingrid as Ilsa, she portrays herself as a dedicated wife to Victor. As the film progresses, the viewers can see the changes in Ilsa’s character, and her past emotions for Rick become more evident. It is details like these in the acting that bring out the depth in the characters, and make the connections between them seem more genuine and compelling to the audience. It makes the viewers want to see what happens between the two unfortunate lovers as they find their way to freedom. Humphrey and Ingrid did a spectacular job in Casablanca, and because of their acting, it easily was put among the

These were created by Arthur Edeson, who was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography (IMDb n. p.). The main focus of the lighting was mainly on the character Ilsa, or Ingrid Bergman. The lighting was used on her from the sides, to give her face a gloomy, honest and unforgettable appearance. One author agrees that, “The films use of backlighting reinforces Ilsas purity and honesty” (Smith 2). However, the shadows that cast over Rick in the beginning shows that he is shrouded in anger and isolation. The lighting is used to convey the unspoken emotions of the characters to the audience, and allows them to feel the specific emotions of that scene. Using lighting, the director is able to create the tensions between the characters with very little dialogue between them. Using the art form of lighting techniques, Casablanca, the director was able to express emotions that would have otherwise seemed bland. Giving the ability to be realistically conveyed, this adds to the movies emotional appeal and captures the attention of any viewer that chooses to watch