Analyse how the following elements of film form are used to create meaning and guide audience response ( understanding of narrative, setting,characters , plot, themes etc. ) in the " Introduction to Rick's Bar " sequence.
At first there is an establishing shot of ricks bar paired with a harsh search light that pans past the bar. The search light tries to find people and expose people by bringing them out of he darkness and into the light. The searchlight also indicates that the bar is being watched and monitored showing it is a dangerous place. The searchlight does not go into ricks bar therefore showing that Ricks bar is a place where people are free to do what they want without fear of arrest. In the shot we see Ricks name before we see or meet him, this shows rick is mysterious and well known around Casablanca.
There is a tracking shot where we enter the bar and follow the other guests inside, the searchlight goes past once again therefore further highlighting the neutral nature of the bar and how Rick doesn't get involved in other peoples business. This is followed by a tracking shot of the bar where waiters are serving drinks and the band. When we reach Sam the camera zooms in therefore we establish his importance to Rick and the bar. The bar in general is well lit and packed with people, this builds up an atmosphere that Rick is popular and people feel comfortable drinking in his bar.
The camera then pans and focuses to man talking about how he is trapped in Casablanca. The man is clearly depressed and struggling with the fact he has to stay in Casablanca, we can see that because the man is clenching his drink and also the table, he is also staring at nothing. The man he is talking to doesn't care about him, we can see this through his posture and body positioning, he is looking away from the man and has his back turned. This shows Casablanca is a place where people don't care about each others problems and that everyone has their own problems to deal with. The man struggling with his fear of being trapped is sitting in a darker seat compared to everyone else, this reflects his situation of being trapped and isolated in Casablanca. He is wearing a dark brown suit which contrasts the man he is talking to who is wearing a light suit.
We next see a woman trying to sell her jewellery for money to escape Casablanca. The woman is playing with her wedding ring, this shows she might sell that next. This further implies the desperation of people stuck in Casablanca. The woman is well dressed and has her hair up, this implies she was wealthy before she fled Europe. She has also come to Ricks bar to sell her jewellery, therefore showing Ricks is a place where people sell their items on the black market. The man she is selling it to is wearing something to check if diamonds are real. this shows that people selling expensive materials like diamonds commonly and frequently, therefore implying that they are wealthy but not wealthy enough to leave Casablanca.
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