The Graduate

The ending of The Graduate leaves a large amount of room for interpretation. The song, "Mrs. Robinson" is manipulated to give the final scene of Benjamin racing to stop Elaine's wedding a suspenseful feel and a more dramatic mood. 

The original tempo of "Mrs. Robinson" here is manipulated in sync with the diegetic sounds; being both accelerated when Benjamin is driving frantically to Santa Barbara and slowed down when his car runs out of petrol.

The rhythm fades as the car slows down and Benjamin jumps out to run the rest of the way to the church. The contrast between the changed rhythm of "Mrs Robinson" and the noises of the wind and passing cars while Benjamin is running creates even more suspense.

The final shot of The Graduate is of Benjamin and Elaine on a bus. It slowly starts driving away from their previous, planned out lives while their facial expressions turn from happiness to sense of anxiousness.“The Sound of Silence” starts to play; a song, in my opinion, that describes Benjamin’s feeling of dissatisfaction and isolation. I think that through sound and suggestion, The Graduate closes on an confused note, leaving plenty of room for interpretation. How do you believe the movie ended and would you change anything about it? Do you think the music or the images have more of an effect on the movie’s final scene?

Citizen Kane

The basic plot of "Citizen Kane" is a search to find out why Charles Kane's last words were "Rosebud." Then it turns out that none of the people interviewed are able to give an explanation of the word. In other words, none of the people who were closest to Kane, were able to understand what was obviously of crucial importance for his life.

The “No Trespassing” 

sign that we see at the beginning of 

the film does not only indicate the boundary of Kane’s estate, but also his basic attitude toward friends and the world. Despite his celebrity status, Kane was a very lonely person. Kane told Susan when they first met, "You know too few people, and I know too many. I guess we're both lonely." He was not lonely in the way Susan was though. His sadness was not temporary; it could not be fixed by meeting new friends and having company. Kane's loneliness was a permanent condition because he never allowed anyone to see the traumatized boy that he kept hidden. In a way Kane never knew who he was.

To hide the injured child inside him from the world and himself. Kane makes a public persona of a powerful publisher and man of the people. He refused to look into his inner self right to the time of his death. Only his last look at a snow globe in the first montage may show some small form of self-recognition.

So, why does Kane keep everything to himself? There are so many different theories to that question and none are confirmed. Do you think it is for more selfish reasons or more selfless reasons? Also, why do you think the movie is called, "Citizen's Kane?" I think it is because Kane has two different parts to him and the only one we see for most of the movie is the persona he puts on in front of the people.

Casablanca

The film Casablanca has often been seen as one of the best movies of all times. Even though they never had high expectations for the movie, it came out to be a movie many people keep going back to. The film has many emotional ups and downs. People love that. They always want to know what will happen to the two in love and how they end up. The movie also shows struggles and suspicions in the characters. When we first meet Rick he is shown as a guy with a secret. And because of this, everyone immediately becomes intrigued. They want to know who he is and why he is the way he is. And when Ilsa and Lazlo walked into Rick's, more starts to piece together. Keeping everyone at the edge of their seats wanting to know more about Rick and his connection to Ilsa. Soon people see Rick and Ilsa were in love. Which captivates the viewer even more. People are drawn to love stories that have struggles. They want to find out what happens to the two in love. Whether they end up together or not. Throughout the film you see the characters develop and open up. You see Rick having a drink with Ilsa and Lazlo when you know he doesn't drink with customers, because it is said to a group of people asking to have a drink with him. And soon you see that Rick and Ilsa have a troubled love story in their past. But you also see Ilsa and Lazlo have a troubled love story. Its a troubled love triangle, but you get to see how Rick opens up more and lets Ilsa go away with Lazlo because he knows it's the safest thing for her to do. It's a love story people are interested in. A love story that you can't help but watch. Even though the film started off as nothing spectacular, it ended being an amazing film that won 3 Academy Awards for the amazing actors and story lines that everyone is hearing about, still to this day.

Casablanca

The film Casablanca is often said to be one of the best movies of all time, even though it started out as a film with nothing special expected of it; it was simply one of the hundreds of movies that was produced each year. The film contains themes that are universal and still used in many films today, one of which is love and emotional struggles. These two themes are seen over again in movies throughout the history of filmmaking and it is always an easy way to draw audiences to see movies. All the characters go through an emotional change during the film. Renault begins as police inspector who is working with the Nazi's and has Ugarte killed, but by the end, he is a completely changed character who helps Rick get Laszlo and Ilsa out of Casablanca. When we first meet Rick, a memorable line that he says is that he "sticks his neck out for nobody"; Rick isn't a hero but he isn't a bad guy, and it takes a while to figure out who he is. Even Ilsa, who seems to be the classic woman stuck in a love triangle becomes more than what she is when we meet her, we see that her and Rick have a complicated past and the complications that she has with Rick and Laszlo are more than any romantic comedy of today has. People are always drawn to a love theme, and grow attached to who they think should be together and they will watch the movie over and over again to relive the love and the struggles that each character goes through. It's clear that Ilsa loves both Rick and Laszlo, but at the end of the movie, Rick really shows his love for Ilsa by letting her go with Laszlo in order to keep her safe in America. Even though this film was set out to be nothing out of the ordinary, a failed movie even, it surprised everyone by winning 3 Academy awards, and coming out with iconic characters, lines, and theme song, and even if they've never seen it, everyone knows about Casablanca.

Casablanca

I think one of the most important factors that lead to Casablanca being considered a classic are the characters. Unlike many other run of the mill romance movies, the characters have depth. They feel real, and hold secrets from each other and the audience. Characters in other movies can be shallow or underdeveloped.

For example, near the end of the film, Rick is deciding what to do with the visas. The audience does not know until the end when his plan unfolds. Many other films would take the simple route of having Rick escape with Ilsa in a happy and expected ending. Instead, he says that he and Ilsa are no longer in love, and sends her off with Lazslo. He tells her "We'll always have Paris", suggesting they just keep the fond memories. Honestly, we cannot even be sure how true that is. Rick and Ilsa could still be in love, but Rick could have had a change of heart from his old attitude of "sticking his neck out for nobody". He may be leaving Ilsa so that Lazslo can continue his work against the war, a cause Rick now supports instead of remaining neutral. This also supports that Rick is the model for what an American man should be. In the end, he makes the noble decision, the selfless one, to help stop the global war instead of support his own interests. Like any good character, Rick also has an arc, and is a changed man by the end of the movie. In the flashback, we can see Rick smile and laugh, drinking with others, and generally acting very different from how he does in Casablanca. Obviously, he changes after Ilsa leaves, shutting himself out from the rest of the world or any relationships, and maintains the facade of the cold, calculating cafe owner. Once she returns, he seems to be returning to his old self, with personality and hopes, and he is no longer only out for himself. Characters that are this real and have this much depth are hard to come by, and I think Casablanca owes a large amount of its success to it. Things like the love triangle or the Paris backstory would be much less intriguing if everyone were two dimensional and made obvious and simple choices.

Casablanca

Casablanca, the iconic black and white film, started off as a failed playwright. The script was bought and turned into a low-budget film with very few costumes and mediocre actors, but somehow today it is often referred to as one of the "greatest films of all time". How did this happen? Why have audiences all over the world adored this movie? My guess is that we are all secretly suckers for love, one of the key themes in the film. The leading lady, Ilsa, is head over heels for two different men, Victor Laszlo and Rick Blaine. The story line of the love triangle creates an air of suspense because the audience doesn't know who Ilsa will choose. As viewers, we are forced to compare the two men and decide which one we think she should go with. Once we pick our favorite, it is hard not to get attached. Recent popular films such as The Hunger Games and Twilight also had love triangles, and the two movies became so successful because of their character fanbases. They always kept the audience in suspense as to which character the heroine would chose, so getting attached to the characters was inevitable. Another reason people were so drawn into the love affair was because it was calm compared to the chaos surrounding it. The setting of the movie was one involved in war and cruelty, which juxtaposed their love. If it was simply just a war movie it would be too harsh, while if it were simply a love story it would be too sappy. Casablanca is the perfect mix of these two plots. This film has been successful for so many years because of the theme of love. Whether the viewer has been in love, is in love, or wants to be in love, they can relate.

Since Casablanca is, in many ways, a study in American heroism, one could argue that Humphrey Bogart's character, Rick Blaine, is the idealistic man in our society. Rick ultimately sacrificed his happiness for Ilsa's when he let her board the plane with Victor. He also helped the young couple win money in his cafe so they could escape to America. Although he said he'd "never stick his neck out for nobody", he did both of those times. He also treats Sam and those who work for him with respect. Rick did let down a few people such as Ugarte and Ferrari, but both of those men were sleazy and just trying to use Rick. Rick knew the difference between someone trying to abuse his power versus someone who desperately needed help. If Rick is considered to be the idealistic male, would you consider Ilsa to be an idealistic woman in society?

Casablanca

Why is Rick Blaine portrayed to be a lonely depressed man at first? Is there something or someone that changes his emotions?

Throughout Casablanca I picked up on the character change of Rick Blaine from a tough, self-centered man to a sentimental and loving man. At the beginning of the film when we are first introduced to Rick you see him sitting alone drinking and playing a game of chess. Maybe it symbolizes a game he can't ever win. We are also told that Rick "never drinks with the costumers" and maybe thats because he's more important than most people sitting in that bar because he has a lot more privileges than the others sitting in his bar. He's from America and could probably leave Casablanca when he choose, he has a lot of money, and he seems to know a lot of highly ranked people. I believe that they try to portray Rick as a type of lonely, self-dependant character is because he really is a lonely character because he has nobody, not since Ilsa. He is upset about what happened in Paris and this is how he's choosing to cope with it. Rick Blaine is very similar to the character Jay Gatsby in the since that they both use money, power, and alcohol to cover their pain. They both are also trying to play at a game of winning over a girl when they both know that they're going to lose.

When Ilsa, Rick's former lover, comes back into Rick's life however the viewers get a new perspective of Rick on the inside and how sympathetic he really can be. Ilsa brings out the best in him and he realizes it. Back to the thought of how he says he never has a drink with anybody, when Ilsa and Laszlo are sitting at a table and ask him to have a drink with them he kindly accepts. As time goes by, Rick becomes worried that Ilsa and Laszlo are leaving and he won't ever see his one true love again and does all he can to keep them there in Casablanca. He eventually realizes that he needs to do whats best for Ilsa because after all he loves her. From a man who sticks his neck out for nobody, he risks getting arrested and kills a man just to help Ilsa and Laszlo escape Casablanca once and for all.

Casablanca

Casablanca is still such a classic because it is has many strong themes that stand out. Some of these are: good vs. evil, doing the right thing, and putting the needs of the many before the needs of the few. It's about principles and morality. Those ideas never go out of time; if anything, they become more relevant. The tale of those people, in that time still matters. 

Rick says that he "sticks his neck out for nobody," but ultimately, his better nature comes to the fore, and he does indeed stick his neck out. When he shoots the Nazi Colonel Strasser, he not only allows Lazlow, to escape to America. 

Rick also selflessly sacrifices the love of his life. Walking away with Louis, the cop who knows what Rick did but still instructs his men to "round up the usual suspects," He's joining the fight against the Nazis.

Rick is a complicated man. He's a loner, but his friends love him. He claims to be just a saloon keeper, but he has the integrity of a guy who stands up for the little guy. You see the pain he has over having lost Ilsa in Paris. What do you think was Rick's "turning point" in Casablanca?

Casablanca

Why is this film such a classic?  Why are audiences drawn to it again and again? 


Whenever a movie is considered a classic, it consists of a certain special change in the protagonist. Character development at the core is what moves the movie along and towards the ultimate goal of the film crew. This film does a spectacular job at showing Rick's change from beginning to the end. In the beginning Rick is a cold and selfish person, he has no interest in sticking his neck out for anybody, unless he is somehow benefiting from it. We met Isla, a past lover of Rick and we slowly start seeing his cold exterior melt away. The climax of the transformation of Rick came in the scene when Isla sneaks into his office at the club and demands him to help her and Laszlo. At first Rick is hesitant to show any weakness and would rather be killed than to help Isla, but after she explodes with tears, Rick breaks down and comforts her. This scene is so moving because of the use of flashbacks in the film of Rick and Isla in Paris together. The flashbacks show them as a perfect couple with no problems and worries. The emotional embrace in Rick's office gives us some hope this couple will find each other again. At first, it looks like Rick is going to continue to help himself like he has done for the past years but instead sticks out his neck for Isla and Laszlo. This transformation of Rick is what makes viewers keep watching. It's the fact that he is giving up his true love to make sure Isla didn't stay around in Casablanca to relive Paris, because sometimes memories are better than reality. 

In the final scene, Rick's monologue he ends it with here's to looking at you kid, what he use to say in Paris. This line is to show how maybe they'll never be together, they will always show the importance of their love. Something's in life are bigger than selfish intentions and Casablanca is so famous because we see Rick's epiphany on the subject.

Casablanca

• Why is this film such a classic?  Why are audiences drawn to it again and again? 

This film is considered by many a classic and draws audiences from every generation because it does not follow the plot or themes of a "traditional" love story. In an average romance novel or movie, the male protagonist and the female protagonist live in a relatively peaceful setting and share a, what some would call, "cheesy" love, exchanging banal phrases and being overly-dramatic. However with Casablanca, this is not the case. Not only were the actors and the director of the movie able to successfully unite the themes of a brutal war and a passionate love, but also make the story of Rick and Ilsa very unique. 

The fact that the setting is during a war complements the underlying plot very well. The contrast between the turbulence of the quickly-paced events and the tender and passionate history of Rick and Ilsa makes this movie revolutionary. The war aided the character development of both Rick and Ilsa, because they both are doomed due to consequences of the war. Rick transforms from a deeply isolated person to someone who is capable of conveying a spectrum of emotions, while Ilsa is a deeply mysterious woman who hides her war-related secret until the very end.

This story is also considered a classic because it skillfully manages to create an ending very much contrary to what the audience anticipated. I feel that the director intentionally made the audience believe that Casablanca would end just like any other love story - Rick and Ilsa would remain together forever and they would live "happily ever after." However, almost in the last minutes of the film it is revealed that Rick makes the decision to depart with the love of his life - this time forever. It is not explicitly stated in the movie, but we see the crisis that the two lovers experience - the knowledge that they will never end up together and that their lives will never intersect.

The repeated use of the classic song As Time Goes By also gives the audience an emotional undertone to the plot, and instantly embeds an association in the audience's minds between Rick's and Ilsa's past and the presence of the song. Also, I noticed that in between transition of scenes, the song plays in a very minor, epic orchestra rendition. As I found from my research, the song was later covered numerous times by famous singers such as Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett after the immense success of the movie, further proving that it truly affected and was well-known by many.

My question at the end of this movie was what makes the song "As Time Goes By" so relevant to the movie?

A still from the last scene of Casablanca, which proved to be an extremely unexpected ending

Casablanca

Rick Blaine's character is known for being the typical, classic tough guy who is more to himself and doesn't concern with other peoples problems that don't involve him.

In his very first shots in the film he was seen alone, drinking and playing chess in a room is selective people. When a man tried to join the room and use money to persuade him, Rick didn't care a bit and continued with his own ways. Also, it was known that Rick won't sit and have a drink with any of the costumers. This can be looked at in the perspective that Rick is almost too good forever and he feels no need to attend anyones requests but his own. As the film further developed we saw Rick open up to more people by associating in their personal conflicts and having more sympathy for those in need. For example, when when the girl (who looked up at the plane in the beginning) came and basically begged for money. Rick had a soft stop and helped her even though he didn't need to. Throughout the whole film but specifically in the end, Renault has been constantly making fun of and point out Rick's sensitivity and sentimentality. Specifically when Renault sees Rick completely vulnerable in front of Ilsa as they're saying good bye.

Although Rick managed to maintain a straight face and never exposed himself too much he was still able to express his emotions to us by the actions he took for people and his connection between not only Ilsa but also Sam. The way he treated his works and how his workers respected him shows his character best. Him being a genuine and caring man, regardless of the facade he tried to place by being more isolated and serious most of the time.

Why would Rick feel the need to always maintain this serious persona?

Casablanca

The film Casablanca is often referred to as one of the greatest films of all time. It contains many universal themes that people can relate to, no matter what the time may be, which is why audiences return to it time and time again. One obvious theme is love. Love is seen between Lazlo and Ilsa, Rick and Ilsa and arguably, even between Renault and Rick and also between Rick and Sam. There is even love for France in the famous scene where the French loyalists sing the Marseillaise in a room full of Nazis. Most notably, the relationship between Rick and Ilsa is of a deep love that never seems to cease, even though she is now married to another man. The love Rick has for Ilsa is depicted in the scene in Rick’s Café where he tells Sam to play the song that he has always forbidden. By him ordering Sam to play this song, it is clear that Rick still has strong feelings for Ilsa since that song reminds him of his time with her when they were free and happy in France. Rick’s love for her, however, is ultimately shown in the final scene of the film where he lets Ilsa go on the plane with Lazlo knowing that he may never see her again for the second time. He sacrifices his feelings for her because he knows she will be happier with Lazlo, which is the ultimate test of love; giving up everything for your lover just so they can be happy. Overall, the film Casablanca has many tales of love, some unexpected, some unusual, and some heartbreaking, which makes it the classic film that it is. But this also allows for the question, besides love, what other factor makes a movie a "classic". Is it characterization, plot development or can pure love be what creates a movie that audiences will watch time and time again?

Casablanca

Before Rick Blaine ever enters the movie, his reputation precedes him as the snobby saloon-keeper that doesn’t drink with customers, ever. The viewer is automatically led to believe that Rick is not a social man-  he doesn’t want to spend time with others, no matter their importance or rank. This impression is not discounted by any means when Rick is eventually shown; he is playing chess by himself, a game usually intended for two. And finally, to solidify his already seemingly narcissistic and cynical mindset, Rick says the line, “I stick my neck out for nobody”. So, within the films first few scenes, Rick isn’t looking much like a romantic, caring man with a woman he adores as shown through his quick-witted yet harsh dialogue, anti-social hobbies, and all around unemotional demeanor… Until the entrance of Miss Ilsa Lund.

From the moment Ilsa and Rick lock eyes for the first time since their stolen days in Paris, Rick is a new man than the one just introduced. Now he is emotional, bitter, and most importantly, he is back to being Richard. He breaks his precedent of never drinking with customers instantly to sit with Ilsa and Laszlo, much to the surprise of Renault. He even goes so far as to say, “Ricky, you’re becoming quite human. I suppose we have to thank you for that, Mademoiselle”. This is the first notable evidence of Rick being inwardly affected by Ilsa’s newly reinstated presence in his life.

Another way the audience observes Rick's emotions resurfacing is through the Sam's song, "As Time Goes By." When Ilsa asks Sam to play it the first time, Rick enters suddenly and furiously, telling Sam he was never to play that song again. Sudden bursts of emotion, much less anger for a man so composed, is clearly out of character. Then the roles are reversed when Rick asks for the song to be played as he drank alone, in the dark. This second listening led to Rick reminiscing about Paris and Ilsa, about happier times in darker days. Only a broken-hearted man- who was once described as "[being] completely neutral about everything"- would find this song to be such a powerful catalyst for emotions he had learned to repress many years ago, showing his true feelings since Ilsa left him stranded in the rain in Paris with only a note to crush his dreams of their happily ever after.

Finally, Rick changes his mind about never sticking out his neck unless it's purely self-beneficial. He helps a young couple win money to escape Casablanca, which in no way benefitted himself- perhaps he saw himself and Ilsa in them, and tried to give them the life he could never have, and he risked getting arrested by Renault and Strasser by sending Laszlo out of the country with Ilsa when he himself could have gone and married the love of his life. Rick's outer composure never changed during these scenes, but his acts of unprecedented kindness showed the viewer, yet again, the undeniable impact of Ilsa Lund on Richard Blaine... However, the questions remains if these changes are permanent, and was Ilsa's reappearance was worth the emotional - but subtle- toll it took on Rick?

Casablanca

It is my honest opinion that the ending to the film Casablanca is the single most important scene for a few reasons. Reason the first: This film was made during a time when the movie romance, the kind of movie with a square jawed, tuxedo-wearing, leading man and a beautiful but slightly icy and mysterious leading lady, was king in Hollywood. Although Casablanca may follow these of the time conventions, the love story aspect of the film is, in a sense, thrown out the window when Rick and Ilsa cannot be together. This turn of events makes this movie much more memorable than the others of its time. Reason the second: It is only in the climax of the film that we truly see Rick's true character. For the entirety of the movie we are trying to figure out what motivates Rick and where his loyalties truly lie. In the end, I feel that Ilsa is his only real motivation, in that he never really makes a move in any direction during the rest of the film, and it is only when she shows up at his door that life is, in a sense, breathed back into him. Reason the third: It is in the finale that everybody finally puts their cards on the table and the truth comes out. We find out that after all of the ups and downs, Renault is one of the few trustworthy people in Casablanca. We also find out that both Rick and Laszlo loved Ilsa enough to let her go safely with the other man to America. Ironically, we are still never technically sure of whether she truly loves either of them, but, this being a movie from the 1940s, I think that we can safely assume that she did.

Casablanca

Scott Yarmoff

Mrs. Robbins

Film Period 3

9/10/14

Casablanca

 Rick is a character who obviously “...stick(s) (his) neck out for nobody.” It seems as if he loves nobody and nothing, and has no reason to be in Casablanca. We later find out that he had a lover (whom he didn't even want to see) which adds to the plot and the complexity of his character. Before and after the audience knows about this time in Paris, Rick is portrayed as a lonely and unhappy man. Nothing makes him smile, it seems. We finally learn at the end of the film that Ilsa loves and misses Rick just as much as he loves and misses her. Finally, he has an opportunity to be happy. Even though he feels at first that Laszlo is stealing Ilsa away from him, he changes the plan all of a sudden and makes sure to do anything necessary to get Laszlo and Ilsa on the plane together and to have it take off, including shooting Major Strasser. He crushed the one chance he had to be with the love of his life in America. His reason? Ilsa would regret it if she didn't go with Laszlo. But what about you, Rick? Rick and Ilsa obviously love each other more than Ilsa loves Laszlo, this is his only chance to be happy, Ilsa would be happier with him, and he just denies himself the opportunity to make himself and his lover happy. He has no reason to do this besides just being nice to Laszlo (who has done nothing concerning Rick except cause the end of his relationship with Ilsa). Rick just decides that this is the best option for everyone even when two of the three people involved are going to miss each other for the rest of their lives. So my question is this: Why did Rick deny himself and Ilsa of happiness together?

Casablanca

The ending of Casablanca can be simply summed up into one word: refreshing. It probably would have been a regular, and stereotypic Disney ending for Rick to defeat the police, kill Laszlo, and run away with Ilsa to America where they would have lived happily ever after. What a bore. What we have here is an old film, but a new ending. Throughout cinematic history we have constantly seen a yuppy, and sappy ending. The boy gets the girl, the sun emerges from the rain, and everything is perfect. In Casablanca we see a twist, true love. By sending Ilsa and Laszlo on the plane and by staying behind, Rick shows his true, everlasting, and passionate love for Ilsa. As seen in the picture below there is an honest sense of sadness in both Ilsa and Rick's face, which is what makes the ending of Casablanca a truly beautiful story.The fact is that Rick saved Ilsa's own safety, and jeopardized his even though he knows that the two will not get to share in affection, and devotion to each other is what makes the ending of this movie beautiful, and most of all, believable. Why wasn't Rick ever mad that Ilsa was in a relationship with him while she was married to Laszlo? Why is Ugarte difficult at the beginning of the scene, and than completely changes his demeanor to helping Rick by the end of the scene?