Casablanca: Rick's bar/ Paris scene analysis

within the beginning of Rick's bar scene an establishing shot of ricks bar tells the audience the location and gives an idea of what his bar is like as the people entering the bar are dressed sophisticated clothing which begins to convey Rick's character as we see how the individuals who frequent his bar are like and also as a spotlight moves around the entrance to connote a sense of hope which Rick and his bar creates throughout the film as Casablanca is in an unoccupied area of morocco and most of the people in Casablanca and most people in Rick's bar are desperate to escape and/or hopeless as we find out as the non diegetic sound outside the bar turns into diegetic sound as we seen the band playing and we get a clearer idea of what Rick's bar because of its affluent look and lighting as the bar is brightly lit and could reinforce a sense of sanctuary/ hope for the people of Casablanca and even though the film is in black and white we can get an idea of the colours like red, white, browns which may be inside due to the wealthy atmosphere which is portrayed and things like chandeliers which reinforce this atmosphere and this is helped through the continuity editing used  and as the camera pans through usually staying at a mid shot as we go through the bar the first set of people in the bar conversating about wanting leave Casablanca which strengthens the hopelessness of the people in Casablanca as most of the conversations which take place towards the people shown in the scene are talking about wanting to escape or attempting to plan for an escape from Casablanca and all of this is shown through the camera moving around the bar instead of using cuts between the different conversations the director Curtiz decided to move the camera around the par which in contemporary film is a lot more difficult to do than using cuts and this use of the moving camera gives a better effect on showing the people of Casablanca and their conversations are intertwined with each other as they all have the same type of conversation of wanting to leave Casablanca. As we move to a part of the bar which seems to be a more expensive area as peoples clothing changes to having jewels and opulent outfits convey this luxurious atmosphere this new area we are shown as the people are gambling they ask a waiter if rick would have a drink with  and we find out that Rick never has drinks with customers and this small line from the waiter conveys a lot about rick as a character without even seeing him as we find out that rick may have a superiority complex as he thinks that the customers don't deserve to have drinks with him but after an obvious agitated cut which doesn't happen in the entire scene as the editing within this scene is barely noticeable but this cut towards Rick's table doesn't use continuity editing because it wants the audience to know that the person we are about to meet is going to be an integral part of the narrative as the cut was very noticeable and puts more attention on Rick and just before we see Rick's face there are two close ups of a cheque book and his drink and cigarette which reinforces Rick's importance.

Within the Paris flashback scene it begins with a fade being white which gives off a dreamy effect as we see Rick reminisce about a happier time as he is with Ilsa the lighting on is face is much brighter connoting to a better time for Rick in contrast to before the flashback where his face had barely any light on him and also his clothing within the beginning of the flashback suggests that Rick is not cynical during this time unlike his persona in Casablanca. Every scene with Rick and Ilsa are shown through fades instead of cuts which reinforces the dream like atmosphere and for this flashback continuity editing is not used to show large spans of time in a short montage to express what Rick's life was like before moving to Casablanca and as the final scene of Rick and Ilsa being happy is cut to documentary footage of the Nazis invading France as this is where it goes downhill for Rick as the final part of the Flashback is Rick being left heartbroken with heavy rain pouring down signifying rick's emotions and this is reinforced as the letter he reads from Ilsa detailing her leaving him and the rain pouring onto the paper the ink begins to come off to create a more dramatic effect as non diegetic music creates a bigger effect. Half way through the flashback a glass is spilled and when Rick comes out of the flashback he spills his drink exactly like in the flashback which could connote to Rick being unable to let go of Ilsa and what happen in Paris.