Casablanca Movie Posterers

Movies are a dominant force in the entertainment industry, reaching millions of people all across the world. In attempt to appeal to all audiences, movie industries are constantly constructing different forms of advertisements. Movie posters use visual elements to capture the heart of the movie, often having a hidden meaning behind them. Cultural moments in society directly influence the entertainment industry, which can often be seen by the theme and content of the film and poster. By understanding the deeper meaning behind these posters, it allows the viewer to go back in time to see the prevailing topics being discussed. Casablanca is a classic Hollywood film released in 1943 that depicts a quintessential romantic drama. The fiftieth edition poster of Casablanca was designed by Charles Parent, in which the poster depicts iconic moments and characters from the film.

The target audience of this poster is historians and fans of the original film.

The poster is able to target fans of the original movie because it glorifies the main characters from the film that people know and love and also pays homage to an original scene on the poster. Furthermore, the poster shows clear imagery that resembles World War II, including the vehicles, military attire, and the movie date, all of which cater toward historians. Since the movie was released in 1943, a year after the United State of America entered World War II, the battle against fascism was near its climax. World War II was a historical moment that impacted the entertainment industry. The movie poster of Casablanca uses colors, objects, people, and positioning to capture and describe the cultural moment during that time period. In the 50th edition movie poster of Casablanca, the author attempts to convey a message that Casablanca was a propaganda tool during World War II by using colors to glorify and degrade certain elements to appeal to his target audience of historians and Casablanca

fans.
The Casablanca poster uses a variety of elements to depict the movie. The poster depicts many topics within the film including certain moments and characters.
A Moroccan styled border, cupcake-like in shape, encompasses the action of the poster. At first glance, the eyes are often drawn to the center of the poster, where two blown up images of the central characters are shown. The character’s names are Rick and Ilsa as indicated at the bottom of the poster. Rick and Ilsa are shown staring at different directions, both characters facing away from the viewer. Behind the characters, a map is shown containing countries of Southern Europe and Northern Africa. The map includes Spain, Algeria, and the country of Morocco covered by Rick and Isla’s heads. By using the name of the film, and the map for context, the city of Casablanca located in Morocco will have strong influence in the film. Below the main characters, it is assumed a particular scene is shown from the film starring five characters. Two of these characters are wearing military attire, suggesting that the military will play a key part within the movie. Alongside the characters, two vehicles are shown. A car is located within the bottom scene, while an airplane is shown flying besides Rick. Finally, A division in the poster occurs between the top and bottom of the poster by using orange and blue colors to distinguish certain elements within.
I found the orange and blue colors used interesting because of the overwhelming presence it had throughout the poster. The colors show a direct reflection of mood and tone, giving the viewer a sense of tension between each side. The effect of these colors gives a visual “pop” to the poster. The top half of the poster is predominantly orange colored, and it includes the facial expressions of Rick and Isla, which gives a sense of innocence and hopefulness. In contrast, the blue color is at the bottom half of the poster, and the facial expressions of the characters resemble somberness and seriousness. By examining the outfits used, the style of the car, and the movie date at the top of the poster, the context signals that this movie takes place during the 1940s. The military outfits quickly reveal that this movie takes place during World War II. Since the movie was released by America during 1942, the military outfit from the blue side may resemble a Nazi presence during the film. The modern-day historian Alan Sennet researches about different historical events that shaped society. He examined the events of Casablanca and how it related to the United States, alongside the movie of Casablanca. Sennet states, “After the Allied invasion of French North Africa—known as Operation TORCH— in November 1942, the so-called deal with Darlan was justified by the Allies on the wholly pragmatic grounds that it would save time, save lives, and allow for preparation of the next stage in the “liberation” of North Africa” (6). Sennet’s point is that the Allied forces had operations in North Africa to take control of certain parts from the opposing forces, and this would help save time and people. Ultimately, it helps give context to what happened in North Africa, in which Casablanca is included. This quote is relevant to my primary source analysis since it might signal that the main characters are involved in the operations to save and liberate North Africa from certain regimes. The orange color may signify a resistance toward the blue side, with Rick and Isla being two central figures fighting this battle. A strand is revealed in Isla’s attire. Her blue coat merges with the bottom of the poster, suggesting that she’s involved with the people or vehicles in blue, adding mystery and depth to her character. Underneath Rick’s brown-orange trench coat reveals a white and black tie, which is an anomaly compared to the orange and blue colors used throughout the poster. The white and black color choice represents that Rick is torn between two sides.