Compare And Contrast To Have Not And Casablanca

Casablanca and To Have and Have Not: Hollywood during World War II Released just two years apart, Casablanca (1942) and To Have and Have Not (1944) share obvious story lines: a cynical American (played by Humphrey Bogart in both films) living in an occupied French colony during World War II ends up aiding the resistance movement. Being released at either ends of the war, the overall tones of the films, however, are quite different; and this difference is most conspicuous in the endings. Casablanca (Curtiz 95:30-99:30), released a year after Pearl Harbor, ends with Rick (Bogart) sacrificing a chance to be with the love of his life, Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), before shooting the German Major Strasser (Conrad Veidt) and walking away with Captain

Night club settings figure prominently in both films. Unlike the shadowy Rick’s in Casablanca, the bar, which doubles as the front for the resistance, of To Have and Have Not is brightly lit. The conventional high key lighting of the final scene as Harry and Marie leave the bar is more in line with conventional Hollywood comedies of the 1930s than a gritty wartime drama. This is in contrast to the previous scene where Morgan shoots one police officer, takes two more prisoner and beats them. The lighting of that scene, like much of the movie, is balanced and unremarkable with the background clearly visible and a few shadows present on the actors’ faces. As Harry and Marie leave the bar, the scene brightens up making the ending unambiguously happy. Casablanca, in contrast, relies heavily on low key lighting. It’s more reminiscent of later, post-war film noir--with heavy shadows present on the actors and background--than the comedies and musicals of the 1930s. The ending takes place not at Rick’s--he is forced to sell is club--but outside of an airport at night. As Rick gives is iconic “We’ll always have Paris” speech the shadow of brim of his hat falls over his eyes; it’s clear Rick and Ilsa are not going to have a bright, happy ending. The runway is covered by a thick fog leaving most of the background obscured. For Rick, and Europe in 1942, the

Both films feature a well known musician (Dooley Wilson and Hoagy Carmichael) in prominent roles. Both films also use music to bolster the narrative. The most obvious example is in Casablanca (Curtiz 72:40-73:50) during the “Duel of the Songs” scene. After Laszlo overhears the German officers singing “Horst Wessel Lied” he convinces the band to play “La Marseillaise,” resulting in the refugees singing along and eventually silencing the Germans. In the final scene of the film, as Rick watches Ilsa fly away, their song, “As Time Goes By” begins to play. This version, however, is more down tempo and slower than the one played by Wilson. This sadder version underscores the unhappiness of Rick and Ilsa. Conversely, in the final scene of To Have and Have Not when Marie says goodbye Cricket (Carmichael), he asks her if she’s happy. She says, “What do you think?” and he plays an upbeat song as Harry and a smiling Marie walk off into the night. True to Hollywood conventions, the music of the films reinforce the emotional situation of the