The DVXUser 100 Films Discussion - March 2007
- Thread starter Erik Olson
- Start date
I'm not well and cannot be burdened with the tedium of The Search.
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krestofre
Knight of the Holy Order
Casablanca
Casablanca
How do you narrow down a discussion about Casablanca? I've been asking myself this question for a solid week now. What can I pull out of the film to post about that doesn't have me just going shot-by-shot and sharing my comments? After much consideration I've decided to touch on three points in the film. Rick as a character, duality and foreshadowing, and finally the ending of the film.
Let's begin by examining Rick, and Bogart's portrayal of the character. What strikes me most about the character and about Bogart's portrayal of the character is how fragile and hurt this man is on the inside. At the opening of the film we are introduced to Rick in name before we are introduced to Rick in person. Through the commentary of other characters in the film the name Rick becomes a legend in and of itself. We hear how Rick has the best club, how great of a guy Rick is, etc. Then finally we are introduced to Humphrey Bogart, and the image of Bogart alone almost doesn't require the verbal build up that he receives. Bogart portrays Rick as fast talking, extremely intelligent, and in control of any situation that occurs. This is mostly par for the course for Bogart. Audiences, especially at the time of Casablanca's release, expected this type of characterization from him, but it all falls apart quickly.
"Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine." Ilsa appears. What I want to draw from this is Bogart's reaction to Ilsa's appearance. He is completely devastated by it. He loses composure. He loses control. As an actor he's not afraid to do it, which I find somewhat remarkable. Especially the scene after the bar closes when Rick is sprawled over a table, drinking himself away, he demonstrates a deep hurt that this woman caused him. This is completely at odds with the strong character presented at the beginning of the film. Before Ilsa appears it's obvious that if any hearts are going to be broken in a relationship, then Rick is going to do the breaking. We discover that isn't true, that Rick loved Ilsa with a deeper love that an man like Rick should be capable of. Ilsa broke Rick's heart and Bogart takes us there in his performance so strongly that I cannot come up with anything to compare it to. This hurt is further explored when Ilsa appears at the bar while Rick is drunk. The confrontation doesn't go well as Rick lashes out with the pain of being left at the train station and the inhibitions of alcohol. Despite the harsh things that Rick says to Ilsa early in the film, his love for her is paramount and a strong motivating factor for the rest of the film. Rick doesn't realize this until he's confronted with a situation much like his own.
This stems from the young couple from Bulgaria who are trying to get to America. It is a beautiful use of duality and foreshadowing in Casablanca. Renault knows that they are out of money and is attracted to the young woman. The arrangement, while never spoken overtly in the film, is nonetheless obvious. If the young woman has sex with Renault, then he will provide exit visas for her and her husband. Getting this information to the audience is a fairly crafty piece of filmmaking. Earlier in the film when Renault and the German officer confront Laszlo and Ilsa in Renault's office there is a small sequence that appears to be completely inconsequential. Laszlo and Ilsa leave the office and one of Renault's men enters and says that another visa problem has arisen. Renault smiles a wolfish smile and says "Show her in." He then walks over to the mirror and straightens his tie. We then disolve to the streets of Casablanca. The details of this scene are left cryptic for now, but note the phrase "Show her in." Not "Show them in." No, a woman has come alone to discuss details of a visa with Renault, and he wants to give a good impression. Later, a young woman approaches Rick and asks if Renault is trustworthy, she then asks if she does a bad thing for a good reason, is it OK. The audience knows what's happening without anyone having to specifically say anything. The depth at which Renault's arrangement is describes is made so much more potent and haunting through the combination of these two sequences than if the details of the arrangement had been spelled out through dialog.
The exchange between the young woman from Bulgaria and Rick serves as a microcosm to what's happening in the story between Rick, Laszlo, and Ilsa. During the scene when the young woman asks Rick is Renault is trustworthy Rick is mentally placing himself in their story and he doesn't like what he sees. On one hand you have Renault coming between a husband and wife by withholding something that they need. On the other hand you have Rick coming between a husband and wife by withholding something that they need. I submit that during this scene Rick realizes that he is being the villain in Laszlo and Ilsa's story just as Renault is being the villain in the story of the young Bulgarian couple. After the young woman leaves Rick's company, Rick does what he claims never to do: He sticks his neck out for the young couple. This decision by Rick foreshadows what will come and takes this discussion all the way to the end of the film.
Spielberg takes an awful lot of heat for always having a happy ending in his films, but there has never been a prettier bow to wrap something in than the ending to Casablanca. Just when things are looking their absolute worst for Rick, the proverbial sun comes out and it looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship. I am not criticizing the ending. In fact, I'm quite fond of it. Regardless of how many times I see the film the ending is still somewhat a surprise. Sure I know what's going to happen, but the emotional build up and pay off of the scene is a gift that Casablanca always gives me. I think that is, perhaps, the strength of the ending. It is EARNED. It's not tacked on. It's not insulting the intelligence of the audience. It is completely motivated and every decision made by every character in the last five minutes of the film comes as fruition to their character development. Rick, Renalut, Laszlo, and Ilsa will be the focus of this point.
Rick's insistence that he doesn't stick his neck out for anybody has already been shattered in during the film in the earlier scene at the roulette table. Due to the circumstances surrounding the young couple that we previously discussed, Rick blatantly does stick his neck out for people, and it should come as no surprise that he's willing to do it for Ilsa now, at the airport. The setup of Rick and Ilsa going off together is merely subterfuge on Rick's part to throw off the French and German authorities. As an audience, Rick's apparent reversal at revealing that Laszlo and Ilsa are the ones who will be boarding the plane feels as natural a decision as anything else in the film because we have previously seen Rick's willingness to help. In fact, the idea of Rick leaving Laszlo in Casablanca is what feels foreign to the audience, and creates a fair amount of tension during the latter portions of the film. We doubt that Rick is willing to sacrifice an innocent man for his own happiness, but at the same time the relationship between Rick and Ilsa is so well-developed that the quieter parts of our brains are left to wonder if Rick really would throw Laszlo to the wolves for the sake of his own happiness. When it's finally revealed that Rick was helping Ilsa and Laszlo all along, the audience breathes a collective sigh of relief, what we thought would happen all along, is in fact what is happening. The tension is then shifted to what consequences Rick will have to deal with for his kindness.
Laszlo is perhaps the most one dimensional of all of the characters in Casablanca. He is given a moral dilemma because of his desire that Ilsa be safe at his own peril (wanting Ilsa to be taken away from Casablanca, even if he must stay behind). But beyond this one internal conflict Laszlo is the figurehead of the resistance, and plays this role throughout, therefore it is natural and no surprise that he accepts Rick's sacrifice and boards the plane.
Ilsa is a little more complex. She is obviously devoted to her husband, but it's also obvious that she still has strong feelings for Rick. Still, this moment at the end of the film, to leave Casablanca with Laszlo, or to leave Casablanca with Rick has been foreshadowed earlier by Ilsa's abandoning Rick at the train station in Paris. As an audience we know who Ilsa will choose despite any spoken or unspoken desires. She made a commitment to Laszlo, and she honors that commitment.
Renault is the last character whose motivations at the end of the film we'll examine. His motivations are also, to me anyway, the most interesting. Renault as a character wavers back and forth of the trustworthiness scale. He has no real love of the Nazi influence on Casablanca, nor does he seem to have any strong connection to the French government. Instead he has a strong connection with two things: His personal power and Rick. Throughout the film we see examples of his infatuation with his own sphere of influence and the power that he wields over it. At the beginning of the film when he's chasing Peter Lorre's character he announces to Rick that there will be an arrest made at the bar tonight. This could, in passing, seem as just Renault informing Rick of what's going to happen in Rick's establishment, however it is also a thinly disguised demonstration of power. A "There will be an arrest here tonight, aren't you glad I staged it here so all can see what a great person I am" sort of thing. Indeed Renault cannot seem to do anything without an audience present to see how well he does it. Regularly, any conversation between Renault and one other character is quickly multiplied by Renault calling over one or several individuals and bringing them up to speed in the conversation. Why be the center of attention for one person when you can be the center of attention for a crowd? But there is at least one thing that Renault does in private: Blackmail. He offers to get people out of the country in exchange for things that he desires. The incident with the young woman from Bulgaria is not isolated. After Rick intercedes on the couples' behalf Renault tells him that he shouldn't meddle in any more of his romantic endeavors. This is common ground for Renault and in certainly a display of his power.
In that same example we see Renault's other strong connection, Rick. I'd wager that if anyone other than Rick had helped the young couple at the roulette wheel out of Casablanca there would have been more ramifications than a simple warning. But because it was Rick, Renault is willing to let it go. Renault protects Rick in other examples in the film, always speaking highly of Rick to the Germans, closing Rick's down only when forced to do so, etc. For whatever reason these two characters have a bond between them that is well established in the film. Thus, at the end, when Renault has the choice of arresting Rick or letting him go you can see the weighing of these options in his eyes. On one hand, the German is dead with no witnesses, so there would be little threat to Renault's personal power. And on the other hand you have Rick, who is probably the closest thing to a friend that Renault has. The decision is made. "Round up the usual suspects."
Just like the ending, the emotional build up and pay off of Casablanca is well earned. It is an exceptional script that goes beyond storytelling and actually makes the characters alive with deep personal growth and well defined motivation. The performances breath life into that script with Bogart leading the way, crafting a strong, but surprisingly fragile character. Perhaps Casablanca's greatness is simply summed up by saying that with all of these components, Casablanca rings true to itself and to its audience.
But it's not quite as good as Citizen Kane (sorry, couldn't resist).
Casablanca
How do you narrow down a discussion about Casablanca? I've been asking myself this question for a solid week now. What can I pull out of the film to post about that doesn't have me just going shot-by-shot and sharing my comments? After much consideration I've decided to touch on three points in the film. Rick as a character, duality and foreshadowing, and finally the ending of the film.
Let's begin by examining Rick, and Bogart's portrayal of the character. What strikes me most about the character and about Bogart's portrayal of the character is how fragile and hurt this man is on the inside. At the opening of the film we are introduced to Rick in name before we are introduced to Rick in person. Through the commentary of other characters in the film the name Rick becomes a legend in and of itself. We hear how Rick has the best club, how great of a guy Rick is, etc. Then finally we are introduced to Humphrey Bogart, and the image of Bogart alone almost doesn't require the verbal build up that he receives. Bogart portrays Rick as fast talking, extremely intelligent, and in control of any situation that occurs. This is mostly par for the course for Bogart. Audiences, especially at the time of Casablanca's release, expected this type of characterization from him, but it all falls apart quickly.
"Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine." Ilsa appears. What I want to draw from this is Bogart's reaction to Ilsa's appearance. He is completely devastated by it. He loses composure. He loses control. As an actor he's not afraid to do it, which I find somewhat remarkable. Especially the scene after the bar closes when Rick is sprawled over a table, drinking himself away, he demonstrates a deep hurt that this woman caused him. This is completely at odds with the strong character presented at the beginning of the film. Before Ilsa appears it's obvious that if any hearts are going to be broken in a relationship, then Rick is going to do the breaking. We discover that isn't true, that Rick loved Ilsa with a deeper love that an man like Rick should be capable of. Ilsa broke Rick's heart and Bogart takes us there in his performance so strongly that I cannot come up with anything to compare it to. This hurt is further explored when Ilsa appears at the bar while Rick is drunk. The confrontation doesn't go well as Rick lashes out with the pain of being left at the train station and the inhibitions of alcohol. Despite the harsh things that Rick says to Ilsa early in the film, his love for her is paramount and a strong motivating factor for the rest of the film. Rick doesn't realize this until he's confronted with a situation much like his own.
This stems from the young couple from Bulgaria who are trying to get to America. It is a beautiful use of duality and foreshadowing in Casablanca. Renault knows that they are out of money and is attracted to the young woman. The arrangement, while never spoken overtly in the film, is nonetheless obvious. If the young woman has sex with Renault, then he will provide exit visas for her and her husband. Getting this information to the audience is a fairly crafty piece of filmmaking. Earlier in the film when Renault and the German officer confront Laszlo and Ilsa in Renault's office there is a small sequence that appears to be completely inconsequential. Laszlo and Ilsa leave the office and one of Renault's men enters and says that another visa problem has arisen. Renault smiles a wolfish smile and says "Show her in." He then walks over to the mirror and straightens his tie. We then disolve to the streets of Casablanca. The details of this scene are left cryptic for now, but note the phrase "Show her in." Not "Show them in." No, a woman has come alone to discuss details of a visa with Renault, and he wants to give a good impression. Later, a young woman approaches Rick and asks if Renault is trustworthy, she then asks if she does a bad thing for a good reason, is it OK. The audience knows what's happening without anyone having to specifically say anything. The depth at which Renault's arrangement is describes is made so much more potent and haunting through the combination of these two sequences than if the details of the arrangement had been spelled out through dialog.
The exchange between the young woman from Bulgaria and Rick serves as a microcosm to what's happening in the story between Rick, Laszlo, and Ilsa. During the scene when the young woman asks Rick is Renault is trustworthy Rick is mentally placing himself in their story and he doesn't like what he sees. On one hand you have Renault coming between a husband and wife by withholding something that they need. On the other hand you have Rick coming between a husband and wife by withholding something that they need. I submit that during this scene Rick realizes that he is being the villain in Laszlo and Ilsa's story just as Renault is being the villain in the story of the young Bulgarian couple. After the young woman leaves Rick's company, Rick does what he claims never to do: He sticks his neck out for the young couple. This decision by Rick foreshadows what will come and takes this discussion all the way to the end of the film.
Spielberg takes an awful lot of heat for always having a happy ending in his films, but there has never been a prettier bow to wrap something in than the ending to Casablanca. Just when things are looking their absolute worst for Rick, the proverbial sun comes out and it looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship. I am not criticizing the ending. In fact, I'm quite fond of it. Regardless of how many times I see the film the ending is still somewhat a surprise. Sure I know what's going to happen, but the emotional build up and pay off of the scene is a gift that Casablanca always gives me. I think that is, perhaps, the strength of the ending. It is EARNED. It's not tacked on. It's not insulting the intelligence of the audience. It is completely motivated and every decision made by every character in the last five minutes of the film comes as fruition to their character development. Rick, Renalut, Laszlo, and Ilsa will be the focus of this point.
Rick's insistence that he doesn't stick his neck out for anybody has already been shattered in during the film in the earlier scene at the roulette table. Due to the circumstances surrounding the young couple that we previously discussed, Rick blatantly does stick his neck out for people, and it should come as no surprise that he's willing to do it for Ilsa now, at the airport. The setup of Rick and Ilsa going off together is merely subterfuge on Rick's part to throw off the French and German authorities. As an audience, Rick's apparent reversal at revealing that Laszlo and Ilsa are the ones who will be boarding the plane feels as natural a decision as anything else in the film because we have previously seen Rick's willingness to help. In fact, the idea of Rick leaving Laszlo in Casablanca is what feels foreign to the audience, and creates a fair amount of tension during the latter portions of the film. We doubt that Rick is willing to sacrifice an innocent man for his own happiness, but at the same time the relationship between Rick and Ilsa is so well-developed that the quieter parts of our brains are left to wonder if Rick really would throw Laszlo to the wolves for the sake of his own happiness. When it's finally revealed that Rick was helping Ilsa and Laszlo all along, the audience breathes a collective sigh of relief, what we thought would happen all along, is in fact what is happening. The tension is then shifted to what consequences Rick will have to deal with for his kindness.
Laszlo is perhaps the most one dimensional of all of the characters in Casablanca. He is given a moral dilemma because of his desire that Ilsa be safe at his own peril (wanting Ilsa to be taken away from Casablanca, even if he must stay behind). But beyond this one internal conflict Laszlo is the figurehead of the resistance, and plays this role throughout, therefore it is natural and no surprise that he accepts Rick's sacrifice and boards the plane.
Ilsa is a little more complex. She is obviously devoted to her husband, but it's also obvious that she still has strong feelings for Rick. Still, this moment at the end of the film, to leave Casablanca with Laszlo, or to leave Casablanca with Rick has been foreshadowed earlier by Ilsa's abandoning Rick at the train station in Paris. As an audience we know who Ilsa will choose despite any spoken or unspoken desires. She made a commitment to Laszlo, and she honors that commitment.
Renault is the last character whose motivations at the end of the film we'll examine. His motivations are also, to me anyway, the most interesting. Renault as a character wavers back and forth of the trustworthiness scale. He has no real love of the Nazi influence on Casablanca, nor does he seem to have any strong connection to the French government. Instead he has a strong connection with two things: His personal power and Rick. Throughout the film we see examples of his infatuation with his own sphere of influence and the power that he wields over it. At the beginning of the film when he's chasing Peter Lorre's character he announces to Rick that there will be an arrest made at the bar tonight. This could, in passing, seem as just Renault informing Rick of what's going to happen in Rick's establishment, however it is also a thinly disguised demonstration of power. A "There will be an arrest here tonight, aren't you glad I staged it here so all can see what a great person I am" sort of thing. Indeed Renault cannot seem to do anything without an audience present to see how well he does it. Regularly, any conversation between Renault and one other character is quickly multiplied by Renault calling over one or several individuals and bringing them up to speed in the conversation. Why be the center of attention for one person when you can be the center of attention for a crowd? But there is at least one thing that Renault does in private: Blackmail. He offers to get people out of the country in exchange for things that he desires. The incident with the young woman from Bulgaria is not isolated. After Rick intercedes on the couples' behalf Renault tells him that he shouldn't meddle in any more of his romantic endeavors. This is common ground for Renault and in certainly a display of his power.
In that same example we see Renault's other strong connection, Rick. I'd wager that if anyone other than Rick had helped the young couple at the roulette wheel out of Casablanca there would have been more ramifications than a simple warning. But because it was Rick, Renault is willing to let it go. Renault protects Rick in other examples in the film, always speaking highly of Rick to the Germans, closing Rick's down only when forced to do so, etc. For whatever reason these two characters have a bond between them that is well established in the film. Thus, at the end, when Renault has the choice of arresting Rick or letting him go you can see the weighing of these options in his eyes. On one hand, the German is dead with no witnesses, so there would be little threat to Renault's personal power. And on the other hand you have Rick, who is probably the closest thing to a friend that Renault has. The decision is made. "Round up the usual suspects."
Just like the ending, the emotional build up and pay off of Casablanca is well earned. It is an exceptional script that goes beyond storytelling and actually makes the characters alive with deep personal growth and well defined motivation. The performances breath life into that script with Bogart leading the way, crafting a strong, but surprisingly fragile character. Perhaps Casablanca's greatness is simply summed up by saying that with all of these components, Casablanca rings true to itself and to its audience.
But it's not quite as good as Citizen Kane (sorry, couldn't resist).
krestofre said:
Under it all, Rick is a sentimentalist - though he hides his shortcomings and soul behind the comfortable, predictable façade he's built for himself at the Café Américain. It is Casablanca and his place in it that defines him now, so much so that his competition is constantly trying to buy the illusion out from under him.
As it is with almost anyone who has experienced true love, there is one central relationship in Rick's life that serves as the benchmark against which all others will be measured after it. Ilsa is this person for Rick, and we see that every relationship in his life is superficial and distant. Being Rick's friend brings little comfort as he'd just as soon sell you down the river if it means reducing his exposure, whatever that might be.
krestofre said:
krestofre said:
I disagree that there is a happy ending in Casablanca. If anything it is an empty melancholy of love unrequited and sacrifice. He has Ilsa's heart as she has his, but he definitely does not get the girl. That she lives and Laszlo escapes the African Nazi camps is just and right. I don't see Rick as redeemed or reinvented as you do. This is strictly a matter of interpretation though.
krestofre said:
Don't forget that Renault is a man operating from a position of diminishing power. He preys upon the weak, but his star is fading under the threat of the growing Nazi regime.
Amidst the mounting chaos and confusion that has Casablanca in a stranglehold, Renault is a man without true power. He is a device that represents the Vichy French government - an ornamental mouthpiece for a country occupied, a puppet of the war machine for which he truly serves. As a patriot, he must surely resent this, though he is powerless to do anything. So, he does what an opportunist does, he takes advantage of whatever his position will allow.
America wanted to make a statement for how France was playing into the spreading Nazi scourge - the director and studio said plenty in Casablanca. In fact, as the patriots sing we see a minor character, Yvonne (Madeleine LeBeau), who pined for Rick in another earlier scene, at a crossroads. She is French, and nearly fell in with a German soldier after Rick rejected her. Watch closely as the Frenchmen sing their national anthem in defiance of the Germans in the bar - in their homeland - and you'll see Yvonne again, this time alone, singing the song loudly with tears streaming down her face.
This moment, in a microscopic one-minute sub-story, illustrates how easy it was for France to fold and become complacent in their occupation. It further serves to inform and bolster France - that America and the world is behind them (as illustrated by Rick's namesake cafe and the representative cultural mish-mash of Casablanca's population), and that they should resist the occupation and stand up and fight for themselves.
The Nazi occupiers would sit down (as the Germans sheepishly do in the bar) if France made a stand. This one scene reinforces why this film is superior to all others ever produced in America. It speaks truth even when it appears to be saying nothing at all. A simple love story was a barely veiled rally cry for action - for America and the world to stand up to a growing fascist threat.
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krestofre
Knight of the Holy Order
overlandfilms said:
I wouldn't say that Rick is redeemed or reinvented. I just think that his decisions are well grounded for the character and the film gives us enough of the development of his character to understand why he makes the choices that he does. That was the point I was trying to get across as the charcter development is so well handled in Casablance. You mention Yvonne later in your post and I think this is another fantastic example of how much the film cares about each character.
As far as the ending being happy ... eh ... I can accept melancholy. I was defining "happy" as Rick not ending up dead or in jail.
I would say, however, that without the strong chracter development and the strong motivation behind their decisions the ending could easily be considered ... um, I guess "too neat" would be a good phrase.Now this is a fantastic observation. With Casablanca and with Kane I've taken an analytical approach to story and character. Its good to see stuff like this delving into different territory.
Justin Kuhn
Veteran
What I find amazing about Casablanca is that it was made in a production mill, as one of any number of pictures churned out on the studio lots, and that the script was being written as it was shot--even the writers didn't know how it would end. I forget if they wrote it in acts, or if it was a write tomorrow's dialogue tonight kind of thing.
Another thing is how many of the lines in this movie have entered popular culture and become cliches, I didn't even know until I saw it.
Another thing is how many of the lines in this movie have entered popular culture and become cliches, I didn't even know until I saw it.
krestofre
Knight of the Holy Order
HappyGobo said:
The script was being worked on during filming to some extent, but the ending was known from the beginning. Bergman has indicated this in interviews that she used that knowledge to guage certain moments of her performance in the film.
It is one of the most quotable movies ever. Another testiment to how great the script is.
Justin Kuhn
Veteran
krestofre said:
My bad, you're right. I had heard some rumor that implied they were basically making it up as they went along, which just staggers me; rewriting the script before the next day, not so much. If large parts of the script were being written right before shooting, that's a bit more impressive.
As an aside, I love Peter Lorre's character--he only appears for a short time but he's got such a great voice.
Justin Kuhn
Veteran
Yeah, I can usually get some hearty chuckles with my Lorre impression. He was also really good in M.
Anyone working on Vertigo? I've got it coming from Netflix tomorrow.
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Brandon Rice
Distributed Producer
Still working on Casablanca... gosh life is busy.
krestofre
Knight of the Holy Order
I had a strange Vertigo experience. I pulled my trusty copy from the shelf, popped it in the DVD player ... nothing. Put it in my computer's DVD drive ... nothing. The disc is in pristene condition and I can see no problems with it. It's just like the data disappeared.
Anyway, just got back from Best Buy with a new copy of Vertigo. Should have something shortly, though it will be a different format from my Kane and Casablanca comments.
Anyway, just got back from Best Buy with a new copy of Vertigo. Should have something shortly, though it will be a different format from my Kane and Casablanca comments.
I'm out of town this week, but finished Vertigo a few days ago. One thing that always strikes me is how liberally they played, in real time, with lighting values to suggest and enforce a mood.
The most extreme example is in the Argosy bookstore, as Pop recalls the story of Carlotta. The lighting goes very dark as her tale of despair is woven for Stewart and Bel Geddes. It appears to have been accomplished with both lighting and iris. Once the couple is back outside the shop, the iris opens and we see the lights inside come on again. In this instance, the effect is really over the top.
An earlier scene in Ernie's is much more subtle. As Novak passes Jimmy Stewart, we see the entire set behind her drop several stops, affording her a glowing special that follows her for a brief moment. In what appears to be a mistake, the value comes up, and then quickly drops again.
Imagine accomplishing this scene with the enormous fixtures and radial dimmers that must have been utilized at the time! At any rate, "specials" and other glamour lighting effects were in wide use for leading actors of the time. Watch old films and you're sure to see soft bars of light across an actresses face, hard-edge dots and fingers on a chisel-faced thug in black and white crime films and on and on. The DPs really took time to sculpt and flatter their talent.
Reading a bit about the film online, I find it interesting to see that Hitchcock blamed the film's poor box office showing on Jimmy Stewart's aged appearance. He does look a bit haggard in it, and he is repeatedly said to be "retired" throughout the script. I suppose that Hitchcock wanted it both ways! From a story perspective, Scottie quit the force due to his fear of heights, not due to his age. At the same time, Stewart was nearly fifty when it was lensed. It is what it is.
I'll write more a bit later - I'm off to Charleston today.
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The most extreme example is in the Argosy bookstore, as Pop recalls the story of Carlotta. The lighting goes very dark as her tale of despair is woven for Stewart and Bel Geddes. It appears to have been accomplished with both lighting and iris. Once the couple is back outside the shop, the iris opens and we see the lights inside come on again. In this instance, the effect is really over the top.
An earlier scene in Ernie's is much more subtle. As Novak passes Jimmy Stewart, we see the entire set behind her drop several stops, affording her a glowing special that follows her for a brief moment. In what appears to be a mistake, the value comes up, and then quickly drops again.
Imagine accomplishing this scene with the enormous fixtures and radial dimmers that must have been utilized at the time! At any rate, "specials" and other glamour lighting effects were in wide use for leading actors of the time. Watch old films and you're sure to see soft bars of light across an actresses face, hard-edge dots and fingers on a chisel-faced thug in black and white crime films and on and on. The DPs really took time to sculpt and flatter their talent.
Reading a bit about the film online, I find it interesting to see that Hitchcock blamed the film's poor box office showing on Jimmy Stewart's aged appearance. He does look a bit haggard in it, and he is repeatedly said to be "retired" throughout the script. I suppose that Hitchcock wanted it both ways! From a story perspective, Scottie quit the force due to his fear of heights, not due to his age. At the same time, Stewart was nearly fifty when it was lensed. It is what it is.
I'll write more a bit later - I'm off to Charleston today.
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krestofre
Knight of the Holy Order
Excellent observation on the lighting Overland. Color is also used in a very liberal way during some scenes in Vertigo. Scottie's dream being an obvious one with the severe red tone used to color the frame. Not in any color correction type of method but just like someone turned on the hot lights at Mel's Diner or something. I've always found the use of lighting and color in Vertigo to be a bit jarring. OK, so I've always found Vertigo in general to be a bit jarring. This is really not a pleasant movie. I have never been able to figure out if I'm more uncomfortable with the idea of Scottie being willing to transform this young woman into the image of the love he lost, or with the idea that this young woman is willing to be transformed by this man. Regardless of Judy's role in the events of the film, she is still willing to be Scottie's dress up doll and I find that very unsettling. The upshot is that I'm supposed to find that unsettling, so in that respect Hitchcock knocked this one out of the park.
For my comments on the film I really wanted to focus on one particular sequence. Towards the end of the film Scottie has slowly been pushing Judy closer and close to becoming a twin of Madeleine. Eventually that goes so far as buying her a gray suit and having her hair dyed. Judy then meets Scottie back at the apartment, but the hair isn't quite right. Judy is trying to make Scottie love her as Judy and not as Madeleine, but he has none of it and begs her to pin her hair back. She leaves the room and when she returns she is an exact copy of Madeleine. The scene, for the purposes of this conversation, begins.
I think it's interesting that Hitchcock attempts to motivate the extreme green lighting on Judy with the motel sign that is partially visible outside of the window. The lighting begins in the extreme, being merely a strip of green light that surrounds Judy like an aura. The choice of green is an interesting one. Vertigo has such a varied color pallet that there could have been so many choices of what kind of light to use in this scene. The most significant use of green in the film prior to this scene is actually Judy's wardrobe. When Scottie first lays eyes on her she is wearing entirely green. Coincidence? Connection? I don't know, but I found it an interesting observation. The dual life that Judy leads is critical to the story, and green seems to be a separator for this. She is wearing green when she is first introduced. After her and Scottie's dinner they return to the apartment where she is silhouetted by the green light (where Scottie sees her in form only and is reminded more sharply of how similar she is to Madeleine). And finally she is presented here, having totally been transformed back into Madeleine, with a splash of green light on her that she walks through an emerges from. She's not fighting Scottie's obsession to turn her into another woman. Instead she has now embraced it, and one has to wonder if she would be content for the rest of her life living as this other woman for Scottie.
Judy and Scottie then begin their embrace and we have another example of the adjustable lighting that exists throughout the film. The camera begins to circle Judy and Scottie as the background fades. The circular motion of the camera becomes a literal turning back the clock. The hotel room vanishes, and instead the couple are transported back to the location of Madeleine's death, the last time that Scottie had with her. Here Scottie breaks the reality of this scene by being a witness, along with the audience, of this transportation through time and space. In effect Judy no longer exists for him and he has succeeded in bringing Madeleine back from the grave. In some interviews, Hitchcock has associate the acts of Scottie in this film as a sort of necrophilia. A creepy suggestion in its own right made even creepier by how willing both Scottie and Judy are in participating in the act. With Scottie realizing what he is doing he fully embraces his actions by returning to Judy/Madeleine's embrace and finishing the scene with a fade to black.
In the next scene, Scottie's demeanor has completely changed, and later we'll see that this reconnection with the deceased Madeleine (another thread in the movie with Madeleine's connection with the deceased Carlota) has even cured him of his vertigo. The film has a few more surprised in store before one of the most abrupt endings in motion picture history, but for the purposes of my analysis we'll stop there.
This has been a very difficult film for me to analyze. I honestly thought it would be much easier, but Hitchcock crafted a very tight, compelling, and frightening film. I found myself questioning and reexamining my feelings / interpretations of several scenes in the film before committing to this particular scene.
For my comments on the film I really wanted to focus on one particular sequence. Towards the end of the film Scottie has slowly been pushing Judy closer and close to becoming a twin of Madeleine. Eventually that goes so far as buying her a gray suit and having her hair dyed. Judy then meets Scottie back at the apartment, but the hair isn't quite right. Judy is trying to make Scottie love her as Judy and not as Madeleine, but he has none of it and begs her to pin her hair back. She leaves the room and when she returns she is an exact copy of Madeleine. The scene, for the purposes of this conversation, begins.
I think it's interesting that Hitchcock attempts to motivate the extreme green lighting on Judy with the motel sign that is partially visible outside of the window. The lighting begins in the extreme, being merely a strip of green light that surrounds Judy like an aura. The choice of green is an interesting one. Vertigo has such a varied color pallet that there could have been so many choices of what kind of light to use in this scene. The most significant use of green in the film prior to this scene is actually Judy's wardrobe. When Scottie first lays eyes on her she is wearing entirely green. Coincidence? Connection? I don't know, but I found it an interesting observation. The dual life that Judy leads is critical to the story, and green seems to be a separator for this. She is wearing green when she is first introduced. After her and Scottie's dinner they return to the apartment where she is silhouetted by the green light (where Scottie sees her in form only and is reminded more sharply of how similar she is to Madeleine). And finally she is presented here, having totally been transformed back into Madeleine, with a splash of green light on her that she walks through an emerges from. She's not fighting Scottie's obsession to turn her into another woman. Instead she has now embraced it, and one has to wonder if she would be content for the rest of her life living as this other woman for Scottie.
Judy and Scottie then begin their embrace and we have another example of the adjustable lighting that exists throughout the film. The camera begins to circle Judy and Scottie as the background fades. The circular motion of the camera becomes a literal turning back the clock. The hotel room vanishes, and instead the couple are transported back to the location of Madeleine's death, the last time that Scottie had with her. Here Scottie breaks the reality of this scene by being a witness, along with the audience, of this transportation through time and space. In effect Judy no longer exists for him and he has succeeded in bringing Madeleine back from the grave. In some interviews, Hitchcock has associate the acts of Scottie in this film as a sort of necrophilia. A creepy suggestion in its own right made even creepier by how willing both Scottie and Judy are in participating in the act. With Scottie realizing what he is doing he fully embraces his actions by returning to Judy/Madeleine's embrace and finishing the scene with a fade to black.
In the next scene, Scottie's demeanor has completely changed, and later we'll see that this reconnection with the deceased Madeleine (another thread in the movie with Madeleine's connection with the deceased Carlota) has even cured him of his vertigo. The film has a few more surprised in store before one of the most abrupt endings in motion picture history, but for the purposes of my analysis we'll stop there.
This has been a very difficult film for me to analyze. I honestly thought it would be much easier, but Hitchcock crafted a very tight, compelling, and frightening film. I found myself questioning and reexamining my feelings / interpretations of several scenes in the film before committing to this particular scene.
Great observations on the colors used in the transformation of Judy to Madeleine!
I'd add that green is the color associated with envy. Perhaps, in the hotel room reveal, Judy has finally surrendered herself completely to Scottie and the idea that he never knew or loved her directly. She steps out of the light, and back into character for John's acceptance.
For over a year, Judy has been living in the shadow of a deceased woman who actually never existed. To compound her role in the murder, she was forced to abandon her lover to save her own neck.
At the conclusion of her first full scene, Judy defiantly tears up the letter of admission that she's just penned for Scottie. Effectively, she surrenders herself to her love for him and her own delayed date with fate.
During their kiss in the reveal scene, Scottie finally sees what he's been resisting since he first "meets" Judy. The investigator in him has known it all along, but the person within him doesn't want to see her for what she truly is - a liar and murderess.
The lynchpin, both figuratively and in reality, is, of all things, a necklace. She literally hangs herself with it and it's a great device.
Love this film!
e
I'd add that green is the color associated with envy. Perhaps, in the hotel room reveal, Judy has finally surrendered herself completely to Scottie and the idea that he never knew or loved her directly. She steps out of the light, and back into character for John's acceptance.
For over a year, Judy has been living in the shadow of a deceased woman who actually never existed. To compound her role in the murder, she was forced to abandon her lover to save her own neck.
At the conclusion of her first full scene, Judy defiantly tears up the letter of admission that she's just penned for Scottie. Effectively, she surrenders herself to her love for him and her own delayed date with fate.
During their kiss in the reveal scene, Scottie finally sees what he's been resisting since he first "meets" Judy. The investigator in him has known it all along, but the person within him doesn't want to see her for what she truly is - a liar and murderess.
The lynchpin, both figuratively and in reality, is, of all things, a necklace. She literally hangs herself with it and it's a great device.
Love this film!
e
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krestofre
Knight of the Holy Order
overlandfilms said:
Nice! I kept toying with the green = envy thing, but I kept thinking of it in terms of Scottie. "How is Scottie envious in this scene?" and I kept coming up blank. In terms of Judy, however, it makes perfect sense.
It's remarkable (and something infinitely important for filmmakers to be conscious of) how things like camera placement, framing, lighting, costume design ... all of the things that go into making a film tell us about the character. On the surface the characters in Vertigo tell us virtually nothing of what's going on inside them, but through Hitchcock's building of the story, we come to know everything. This is obviously just a piece of the "show it don't say it" rule, but I felt it was a good time to mention it.
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