Classical Hollywood and New Hollywood Comparisons Casablanca and Blade Runner (1930-1990)
- ‘Films always reflect the society and politics of their day’. How true is this for the films you have studied (40 marks)
In this essay I will be comparing the Classic Hollywood film Casablanca (Curtiz 1942) and the New Hollywood film Blade Runner (Scott 1982), discussing the way in which the films reflect the society and politics of their day. Both of these films comment on the socio-political ills of society in their period, reflecting the anxieties of society post war. In the case of Blade Runner, the film demonstrates the post-Vietnam war worries and the concerns about the ongoing Cold war in a more negative approach. Casablanca however conveys a stronger positive ideological message, commenting on the American effort to join the war, although similarly suggesting social/political fears of the second world war.
Firstly one ideology which reflects political and social concerns of both the periods of which Casablanca and Blade Runner were set is the concept of escapism. During the period of the high concept Hollywood era, escapism was seen as a popular ideology amongst film makers like Curtiz and Scott in order for those watching the film a way out of the current day politics and ongoing fears of war. In terms of Casablanca, escapism was shown as a hopeful vison of traveling to a new world, providing a sense of hopefulness and freedom to the Americans while being trapped in Casablanca. An example of where this is shown in the movie is through the use of the plane motif reoccurring in the first and last scenes. The plane symbolises the escape to a new idealised life ‘the American dream’ which is thought to be the centre of happiness and freedom. It is also used in the last scene when Lazlo and Ilsa escape to America, creating an audience response of desire within the audience. In terms of politics this could be seen as a form of propaganda within the film, suggesting that if America join the war efforts and fight in the war then everyone would be free and have the liberty to travel and go wherever they desire, thus promoting America and reinforcing the concept of escapism. Escapism is also seen in Blade Runner where in the opening sequence as off world colonies are advertised on a blimp. The escapism was used to symbolise the fears after the Vietnam war and the concerns of what the cold war would bring, linking to the apprehension around the development of new technology. Within the sequence the blimp says ‘the chance to begin again’ suggesting that it is advertising a new idealised utopia and wanting to escape the undesirable and dreary dystopian city LA had become. This gives the false impression that colonies fulfil dreams of escape and pleasure however simultaneously destroy the world.
Next, the plight of refugees is a common theme in both Casablanca and Blade Runner both linking to the changes in society and how two different interpretations of multicultural beliefs in society are presented, due to immigration. In Casablanca we see a mixed culture society because of the mixed political attitudes, or example the extreme Nazi control compared to the Vichy French, Rick and the ideology behind Victor Lazlo’s character in the film. However as well as this the plight of the refugees is seen as a reoccurring theme in the film as it portrays the refugees to be the real victims amongst war. This is suggested in the opening sequence as we see an establishing shot of the globe using documentary footage to show the extent of the suffering and trouble which the refuges face, including people such as Lazlo and Rick, inferring that it is due to the political control the Nazi government have over the refugees at this point. On the other hand in Blade Runner immigration is seen as a dominant and a normalised thing, showing the middle eastern dominated society of LA, reflecting the immigration from Asia to America during the 80s. Similarly in both of these film the immigrates are shown to be treated as lesser by society. An example of this in Blade Runner is that mostly Asian and Hispanic people are seen living on the crowded ground level streets whilst the ruling upper class, mainly white Americans, live high above the city in penthouses and their own buildings, also representing the class divide between refugees and the Americans. The mixed culture can also be seen through props in mise en scene, for example the Bonsai tree, the Chinese menu and the billboards featuring Asian women in Coca-Cola adverts. This suggest the social attitudes are changing and developing around immigrant but are still treated poorly, like in Casablanca.
As well as this both of the films I have studied reflect the society and politics of their day similarly through the idea of ‘living in fear’. In Casablanca we see the government and society’s fear of the second world war, reflecting the theme of American isolationism. An example of this is, in terms of mise en scene, we see the day of pearl harbour written on the cheque that Rick signs. In the film this takes place four days leading up to Pearl harbour suggesting the political concerns of what will come of the second wold war and shows how Rick could represent the US foreign policy from isolation to intervention, acting as a form of propaganda for the US’s allied war effort. Whereas in Blade Runner the society is seen to be living in fear of the cold war, conveyed as Batty askes Deckard ‘do you know what it is like to live in fear’ during the ending sequence. This could reflect political ideology surrounding the MAD theory during the cold war, the theory that technology, including nuclear arms, would develop to the extent that the world would be destroyed. This was supported by the Americans developing the first nuclear Atomic bomb in 1945. This fear also links to the failure to defeat communism after the cold war ended, leading to LA appearing to be under a right-wing dictator in the film. Another reason why society was concerned about the new development of technology after the cold war was because of the environmentalist concerns. As seen in the film Scott uses smoke and fog to reflect the ongoing reliance on fossil fuels and uses the continuous motif of rain to suggest LA is suffering from global warming or an environmental disaster as a result of technology in the war.
Lastly, in term of Blade Runner, the film highlights society and politics of their day but commenting on the social effects of post-war Vietnam and the political consequences suing the period of the 80s. For example the way in which Deckard is portrayed as a detached replicant from society, violent and cannot manage relationships represent soldiers who suffered with PTSD after coming home from the Vietnam war, meaning Deckard is used to emphasises the collective identity of all those how suffered at the hands of fighting against communist war. As well as this the social attitudes in the 80’s could be seen in the film, for example the selection of US president Reagan could ultimately comment on Neoliberalism. This is because Reagan appeared image obsessed and to represent style over substance. In turn, this links to how the US was obsessed with commodities and shaking off post war concerns, relating to how LA is seen dominated with billboard and neon signs suggesting the power of global economics and the political shift to conservative values.
Lastly, in terms of Casablanca, the film demonstrates society and politics of their day by commenting on the US ‘foreign policy’. Within this Ilsa represents Europe while Rick’s character is used to represent America, reflecting tough and cynical demeanour. For example at the start Rick maintains an isolationist and neutral stance as he says ‘I bet they’re asleep in New York, but by the end turns into someone who sacrifices themselves for the greater good and is willing to join the war effort as an ally to Renault.
2. Compare how for your chosen films reflect auteur signature feature of their film makers (40 marks)
In this essay, I will be comparing the Classic Hollywood film Casablanca (Curtiz 1942) and the New Hollywood film Blade Runner (Scott 1982), discussing how the films reflect auteur signature features of their film makers. An auteur consists of a director with a recognisable camera style, reoccurring themes, ongoing collaborations and technical codes, which we might recognise through the visual style of Michael Curtiz and Ridley Scott. Being classed as an auteur may also depend on the director’s background and personal experience such as Curtiz’s European influence in Hungary, France and Germany which later sparked one of his auteur signatures of German expressionism in his work, as seen in Casablanca. In Scott’s case, he started his career in television, as well as referencing his art school background, for example the use of Durer’s rhinoceros sequence and the Van Eyck painting ‘the marriage of arnolfini’ in the middle sequence of Blade Runner. This links to the use of Scott’s recognisable use of mise en scene by creating meticulously built and highly detailed, intricate and historical sets, such as the Tyrell building and the opening establishing shot of LA city.
Collaborations can be a signature feature that makes a director an auteur from the use of repeated collaborations with actors, composer, writers and cinematographers. However, it can be argued that Curtiz may be considered a vulgar director in terms of his collaborations throughout is work. The reason for this is that Curtiz has worked with multiple writers and made over 170 films, including ones with Warner Brother’s studios which typically consist of a wide range of genres in his work. Within this we might get the impression that Curtiz is a studio director as Casablanca was regarded as a ‘happy accident’. On the other hand, we could consider Curtiz an auteur because of his ongoing collaborations with actors such as Humphrey Bogart (featuring in Casablanca), Crawford and Flynn, as well as the composer of the Casablanca score Hall Wallis. In terms of Blade Runner, Scott has collaborated with Marc Streitenfeld and Hans Zimmer in a number of his other films such as Gladiator and Black Hawk Down, however worked with the composer Vangelis to produce the Blade Runner score. In Scott’s other films he has also collaborated with actors Russell Crowe and Cinematographer John Mathieson consistently.
Another reason why me might consider these directors auteurs is because of their recognisable ‘camera stylo’. One recognisable camera style both Curtiz and Scott feature in Casablanca and Blade Runner is the use of the close ups. Curtiz specifically uses soft focus when showing close ups of Isla’s face in the middle sequence to suggest how she is the reason for Rick’s isolation and ultimately is his one true vulnerability. Scott also uses close-ups, specifically ones which include blood and gore, for example he close up of Batty in the ending sequence when he has a nail through his hand. These close-ups are used to emphasise significance in the narrative and highlight the importance of the moment. In this example the nail through Batty’s hand is used to suggest his real humanity and portray him as a godlike heroic character and a martyr for all replicants, given that it symbolises the stigmata and therefore a heavenly figure. However, one of Curtiz’s most recognisable camera stylo is the use of the dolly. Within this he uses long continues singles takes, for example the one leading into Rick’s café in the middle sequence. These tracking shots are used to draw significance and importance to characters and parts of mise en scene, such as Sam playing the piano which is used as narrative logic thus revealing Rick’s motivations. In terms of camera stylo, as well as the use of bloody close-ups, Scott uses recognisable medium to long length shots in order to add depth to his scenes and make his setting seem vast and grand. This is used in Blade Runner when we see all the buildings, from Deckard’s point over view towering above the whole city in the opening sequence. Scott also uses this style in other films like gladiator to make battle scenes more dramatic and add depth.
In terms of an auteur’s use of technical codes such as the use of lighting, Curtiz may be considered an auteur because of his use of functional and directional lighting in order to create shadows, as seen in Casablanca. This is intended to reflect German expressionism, influenced by Curtiz’s European background as well as mirroring similar Nazi architecture at the time, giving a heightened sense of the war and the power that the Nazi’s had over the Americans. Similarly, in Blade Runner, Scott uses reoccurring directional lighting to create shadow over the character’s faces, such as Deckard, to represent their conflicted motivations and this ongoing struggle for identity in the film. Both directors share the same recognisable technical codes when looking at their use of nori lighting, and low key high key contrast, to reflect the period the film was shot, and in Scott’s case suggest the film to be a type of dystopian neo-noir fable. Also in terms of lighting that shows the director as an auteur, Scott uses Blinds as a reoccurring element in his films, creating shafts of light to suggest the feeling of surveillance and constant shadows. Scot can be recognised for his specific use of colour pallets, for example in Blade Runner we are consonantly shown a blue/grey colour scheme to represent the world as a dark and murky environment and reveal the hidden motivations of the characters, like Deckard’s humanity.
We may recognise an auteur such as Curtiz and Scott through their use of reoccurring themes and genres. For this Curtiz may be considered a vulgar director due to his wide range of genres, ranging in Casablanca from comedy, drama, war film, thriller to romance and film noir. However, one of Curtiz’s reoccurring themes is, in terms of performance, the characters facing a moral dilemma, seen through Rick’s point of view. For example as Ricks says ‘I stick my neck out for nobody’ and shows his isolation through not drinking with anyone. This could be considered an auteur signature as it uses Curtiz’s iconic ‘snappy and witty dialogue’. On the other hand Scott’s work includes the reoccurring genres of horror, science-fiction, fantasy and historical events. In Blade Runner we see science fiction and the interpretation of historical and in fact the predicted future events. In Scott’s work, particularly comparing Blade Runner to his 2015 film ‘The Martian’, Scott demonstrates the use of reoccurring themes such as colonisation , identity and technology, all which is shown in Blade Runner. For example Deckard’s battle with his own humanity and whether or not he believes he’s a replicant, as well as the idealised utopia LA has become and the desire to escae the world. Similarly to Casablanca Scott uses performance as one of his auteur signatures, including the main characters show a strong mental strength to overcome physical weakness and strong female characters, such as Zorah and Pris.
Lastly in this essay I believe an auteur can be recognised by their use of reoccurring motifs in their work. Both in Casablanca and Blade Runner the ongoing motif of the searchlight is used. In both these films the searchlight represents a world living in fear of surveillance, emphasising the fact that the characters are always being watched by an unknown higher authority and where there is no privacy or escape. Curtiz uses this to show Rick being under constant surveillance by the Nazi’s and Scott shows how perhaps Batty is always watching Deckard even when he’s not on screen. Another motif we could use to show Scott as an auteur is his common use of smoke and other atmosphere, as well as rain and weather, which could be seen as a theme of his work. In blade Rune Scott uses smoke feisty to hid set and secondly to support the narrative and show the audience the reliance on fossil fuels and how in the film there had been an environmental disaster in the future world of 2019. This point is also supported by the motif of rain and weather, to suggest the world is deteriorating and suffering whilst technology simultaneously advances.
In conclusion, I believe Scott and be considered an auteur and this is reflected in Blade Runner though his consistent and use of technical codes and themes. I also think this to be true to Curtiz, however it can be argued how he is also a vulgar director due to his wide range of genres and possible lack of consistent collaborations, perhaps making him a ‘studio director’.
Emma Coe Film Studies 