[Music]
and I thought I told you never to play I
think the first time I watched Rick
reunited with Ilsa I was during one of
my film classes in college Lars and I
watched a great many old films during
those lectures most of which I think
both of us don't really remember that
well as we had a tendency to doze off in
those comfortable cinema seats
that was until Casablanca came around
and managed to firmly break that cycle
with its quick with a dialogue what is
your nationality
I'm a drunken American Samba with
memorable characters and of course it's
music most of all the film's overall
story that makes for such an enjoyable
viewing experience it was only after I'd
read Robert McKee aptly-named book story
I fool you came to understand why kiss a
blanket can be seen as a sort of gold
standard for a great storytelling
showing this video I'd like to deviate
from our usual format and provide you a
more practical look into the realm of
storytelling as a whole to do this I'll
guide you through McKee's guidelines for
scene analysis and if they can in-depth
look at one of Casablanca most pivotal
scenes it's still the same old story
five fundamental array now the scene
that I want you analyze as guests
blanka's medic clinics which is being
set up right here as Rick's pops they
all saw walking around the market but
before we get into that we first need to
answer the following question what makes
the scene work some might say it is it's
good dialogue or nice visuals and all of
these things definitely helps the Kino
to the determining factor arises in the
subtext and the underlying structure of
the scene now what does this mean
within scenes we can make a distinction
between texts the sensory service of the
image or in other words everything that
we see and hear on screen and subtext
which are all the thoughts feelings and
conscious as well as unconscious desires
of the characters on screen in other
words everything that is unseen or
actively being veiled behind the sensory
surface of the text
Baker yes
be careful if characters lack multiple
layers they tend to feel bland which
causes them to feel fake and dialogue to
suffer at the consequence just take a
look at the segment from Bill Harbor
your so what has happened here is that
the subtext has been written directly
into the text which is commonly known as
writing down the nose good films on the
other hand generally have their
characters express themselves through
subtext seasons move because conscious
and unconscious desires clash as writers
continuously up the stakes and their
characters on the spot because they know
it's the decisions they make the actions
they take that tells more about a
character than any piece of surface
level dialogue ever could even this
times over but thank you not so fast
Lily nobody's going to be arrested not
for a while yet now that we've covered
that let's go back to the mid act climax
and analyze how Casablanca uses subtext
to move this evening forward the first
two things that we want to do is one to
find the complex at the scene and to
note the opening value to do this we'll
need to briefly cover the context at the
scene so for those of you are already
very familiar movies feel free to skip
ahead Rick Blaine is a former freedom
fighter turned saloon owner in
Casablanca during the Second World War
the cynical nature is revealed early on
to be caused by a devastating heartbreak
he experienced a year earlier in Paris
the girlfriend and soon-to-be wife it
also loved abandoned him the day were
supposed to escape the city from the
Nazis together fast forward a year in
the to run into each other by
coincidence in Rick's bar also however
has not come alone and during a
late-night Meetup Rick Duncan Lee calls
her out for being a horror as she
attempts to explain herself tell me what
did she left me for
was it Laszlo or whether others in
between onto the time
tell after which you angrily barges out
which takes us back to the market seed
so to define the conflict we need to
know the desires of the main characters
in play rick initiates the semen despite
his inner resentment his goal is clear
to win Ilsa back her motivations on the
other hand aren't clear yet but their
encounter denied before plus her guarded
attitude right now giveaway that she has
an active interest in keeping her affair
with Rick in the past the opening value
of the scene is love all those
relationships to Victor Laszlo has not
been made clear yet so Rick sees an
opportunity to reunite with his former
lover the values - were positive which
brings us to the first step
breaking the scene in two beats now beat
in exchange of action reaction and
character behavior both on a sexual as
well and more importantly on a sub
textual level so let's see if we can
mark all the beads in this scene you
will not find attractive like this in
all mortal kombat mug then only 700
francs
the first one is established right here
before here Rick or Hill that even
uttered a single word
Rick's action is to approach her it was
on the other hand sensing his presence
choose to ignore him being cheated
doesn't matter thanks Rick opens by
protecting her from the salesman and
Ilsa now acknowledges his existence
which chooses to reject his advances
Rick's words however seemed to him that
more ills this relationship with Laszlo
hobby lady defender reached for friends
of weeks we have a small discount did I
take that 100 francs you can have it for
200 I'm sorry I was in no condition to
receive you when you called on me last
night doesn't matter
super special friends obliques we have a
special discount of 100 francs
Rick no tries to hide his embarrassment
by using excesses for melody to
apologize for his behavior but he also
remains unimpressed
this story had me a little confused
maybe it was a bourbon I have some paper
books some thank you I'm really not
complete what me no think still
attempting to open up the conversation
he moves to excuse making but yet again
Hilda will have none of it yet she
doesn't choose the leaf also notice how
to roll the sills Minh is not really at
all about comically selling his lace to
Ilsa but rather about selling Rick's
jewels why did you come back to tell me
why you ran out on me at the railway
station yes Rick desperately tries to
get his foot in the door by asking her a
question that provides his own
answer and it works that opens up just a
tiny bit and you can tell me now I'm
reasonably sober I don't think I win
rich by insulting himself Rick is at
this point essentially begging tilde in
his own way where she's no longer
rejecting him completely but opposing
him and asking for more why not after
all I got stuck with a railway ticket I
think I'm entitled and now last night I
saw what had happened to you very can
you in Paris I could tell him he'd
understand the one who looked at me with
such hatred Rick losing his patience
lightly moves to guilt tripping Ilze
into an explanation but both parties
feel like they're at a victim so will
side guilt trips Rick right back I'll be
leading Casa Blanca so know we'll never
see each other again we knew very little
about each other when we were in love in
Paris if you leave it that way maybe
we'll remember those things not
Casablanca not last night it also now
takes over the initiative by trying to
say our goodbyes to Rick who then
completely refuses to react and instead
starts the next beep did you run out on
me because you couldn't take it because
you knew what it would be like hiding
from the police running away all the
time it can believe that if you want to
so now we decide to hit her with his
best guess for an explanation by calling
her a coward
those enosis to be false so she insults
him right back by basically calling him
a fool well I'm not running away anymore
I'm settled now love us alone it's true
but the walk up a flight I'll be
expecting you the spider continues
denials Rick senses her true feelings
and sexually propositions for a Cure
effect she tries to hide her blush on
her hat-brim Rick now feels like she's
almost within his reach all the same
someday you'll idle as well
you'll be there no
you know you see Victor Leslie's my
husband and was even when I knew you in
Paris but again Rick can't contain his
pain and called rot for being a it
also hasn't been called the for the
second time reaches sort of one thing
she knows who will hit the hardest
because the revelation that she had
always been married to Laszlo would
imply that she just used Rick for her
own pleasure in Paris and that her love
had never been real all along
however the subtext of the scene gives
away that quite the opposite is the
truth but of course Rick doesn't know
that yet and left devastated that Ilsa
walks off so at the end of the scene the
hopeful father this opening value has
changed into a deep and dark negative in
the final step of our analysis we can
see how two riders of Casablanca build a
rapid progression of beats each placing
a governing value of love at greater
risk the 11 beat marks the climax and
turning point of the scene after which
the opening value changes to its closing
value of course this scene is but a
minor part and the masterful piece of
writing that is Casablanca has basically
every scene in the movie as is great
it's not greater than the one we just
analyzed but it goes to show how much
attention to seam structure and subtext
has gone into the film and I having
export that I hope to shed a light minor
as it may be on the grass of
screenwriting as a whole because even
though your scripts like Casablanca
might have a surface level story that's
as corny as they come if the writing is
good if the emotions are real and the
scenes aren't what they seem to be about
you might just have something special in
your hands
is looking at you kid
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
alright guys thanks for watching so
obviously this video is quite different
from what we usually do and it's
something that I've been wanting to make
since we first started channel I just
felt like I didn't really have that
editing capabilities to pull off just
yet so it doubles if you like these
types of more practical slash
informative videos in-between our
regular analyses and we'll be sure to
make more of them also if you like what
we do and one more check out our patreon
page where we produce additional content
and follow us on social media and all
that good stuff also one more thing is
my voice sounds a little off and this
one towards the end it's because they
got a little sick during the production
of this video I've recently moved
halfway across the globe so that
probably has something to do with it
anyways I think that wraps things up
thanks again for watching and see you
all the next one