Film noir and Casa blanca

For this week, I have assessed 1940’s/50’s American Cinema and the aftermath of WWII noir film. The plot of the movie revolves around a pessimistic club owner who tries to protect and ex-lover and her husband from Nazi persecution in Morocco. The owner’s club becomes a sanctuary despite the fact that he was under investigation from the authorities. This film is iconic because Hollywood had experienced their golden years from the years of 1930 to 1945. The introduction of sound to the world of cinema at the end of the 1920’s was crucial in the shaping of American culture and life during the Great Depression and the Second World War. Sound effects were fresh and they managed to scare people due to the nature of their innovation at the time. Several genre films were made that furthered the war efforts of the government. Cinema was used during this time period in order to promote powerful propaganda. Films in cinema were used as a tool of psychological warfare against enemies of the U.S. The films also served to bring social and political awareness of the conditions that existed in the U.S. The term “Film Noir” is used to describe Hollywood films that emphasize crime drama and cynical attitudes towards life. Film Noir also focused on the sexual motivations of life. Film Noir is also unique in the sense that it can have various plots and unfold dramatically. The romance portrayed in Casablanca is not excessive nor melodramatic, with the drama slow to culminate and the overall story not too passionate. The film is also powerful in the fact that it was released at a very important time, with the release being around the time of the country’s involvement in the Second World War. There is criminal activity being shown in its rawest form in Casablanca, as allowing Nazis to retreat and stay in one’s home was forbidden and punishable. Rick, the club owner who sheltered them, faces a moral dilemma when he internally debates whether or not he should allow them to stay out of the kindness of his heart, or give them up to the Nazi authorities because he feels scorned and rejected. It turns out that Rick sacrifices love and his own safety to combat a bigger issue and to rescue the woman he loves in order to 

preserve her happiness and livelihood. The film has a value that is sexual in the way that arouses people’s imaginations by highlighting the grit of human emotion. Film Noir allowed the raw, potent nature of emotion to be illustrated in a way that displayed the dark thoughts of the public. The fact that women assumed the roles of men during the war disoriented society at the time, and America was experiencing inner turmoil due to its traditional values being imbalanced. Film Noir was exemplary at displaying the moral dilemmas as well as being devoid of happy endings in order to show that life is unexpected and sometimes grim. I believe Film Noir is delightfully macabre and reflects on the harsh realities of life.