Classical Hollywood Techniques In Casablanca

Classical Hollywood film style is structured narratively with a clearly defined conflict which is introduced early in the film, then a problem arises where the characters are forced to work through the problem, and at the end of the film the problem is resolved. Film makers rely on style- structure, narrative, & visual elements – to effectively tell their story. Classical Hollywood films are filmed in a control environment where the director is in control of what is happening in the film. The goal of classical Hollywood film style is to make it as realistic as possible, where the film is believable to the viewer. The films flow with ease, all resulting from crucial editing. It allows the viewer to understand what the director is trying to

The film possess a style that is so largely invisible and difficult for the audience to see. It was very effective in convincing us that what we see on the screen is real, that we have to forcibly remind ourselves “it’s only a movie”. You can break down a classical Hollywood narrative into three different acts: the setup, the development, and the resolution. In the setup we are introduced to the main characters in the story, their goals, and their obstacles they face to achieve those goals. We are introduced to the problem in the beginning of the movie. In most classical Hollywood narratives there are usually one or two main characters that the film is focused on and the audience gets to know very well. After watching Casablanca this was very noticeable because the story was mainly about Rick and about his past love, Ilsa. The story starts in chronological order, showing what is happening in the world, and where it is leading to, allowing the audience to understand the plot of the story. The chronological order is momentarily interrupted from Rick’s flashback of Ilsa and him in France. Even though it messes up the chronological order in a classical Hollywood film, it does help the audience grasp the love story between these two. This chronological order helps establish the cause-effect chain, another major narrative