Shaun Of The Dead- Narrative Structure and Genre

 Casablanca Analysis 

Rick's Bar scene

The Scene opens with an establishing shot, typical cinematography of the classical style. We notice a spotlight panning across the view in  the mise-En-Scene; representing the fact that in Casablanca, you're always being surveilled. Next, the camera zooms in for a close up of the illuminated sign above the door marked "Rick's Café Americain", ensuring the audience is fully aware of where we're headed. As the shot heads towards the big double doors of Rick's cafe, it delays and lingers a moment waiting outside, an easy yet effective technique for building intrigue. We hear Sam's singing and at this stage, assume it's non-diegetic music. The camera begins slowly panning from right to left as we finally get to explore the cafe, hoping at the end of our trail to find Rick whom we've heard so much about.  We meet Sam, our first three dimensional character and the music becomes diegetic. We can only assume it is a rather colourful scene suggested by an array of different textures emerging from different costumes as smoke fills the air. 

As the camera cuts from a very cheerful looking Sam and his music it continues to pan across the room and we get to hear snippets of conversation from some customers. The audience is made to feel as though they are eaves-dropping in on these conversations as the hand held camera lingers for only a few seconds, intruding on these moments. First, we meet two men positioned across from each other with mis-matched eyelines. One of them is dressed in all black, tightly clutching his drink with an extreme tone of desperation in his voice as he utters "waiting, waiting, waiting. I'll never get out of here. I'll die here in Casablanca". The repetition of the word "waiting" emphasises this universal feeling of desperation throughout Casablanca. His presumed friend who is sitting with him appears disconnected and uninterested in his friends existential crisis as he casually nods, taking drags from his cigarette. The camera then cuts to a teary-eyed woman who, judging by her silky dress and gleaming diamonds she's trying to sell must once have been worth quite a bit of money, however since she has resulted to residing in Casablanca, is now considered faded glamour. She seems to have the same sense of despair about her, a recurring aspect of all the Citizens of Casablanca. 

The camera then cuts to two men, huddled close together having a seemingly suspicious conversation which comes to an abrupt stop when two Germans pass by, reiterating the fact you're always under surveillance in Casablanca. Subsequently, all groups are self-contained and weary of outsiders. It's quite evident from these little snippets of dialogue that Casablanca isn't a happy place full of clouds and rainbows. We catch a glimpse of the extreme despondency that looms in the atmosphere and creates the strange world that is Casablanca. 

to break up the monotonous cuts the camera pans over to intrude on an interaction between another joyful employee and a customer at the bar. The bar man then glances up at one of the waiters, and we follow the waiter through a set of doors into another room. Once again, typical of the continuity editing style, it is obvious to the viewer where we are physically in the setting and we know exactly what perspective we're looking from. Although the cuts take place mid-way through conversation, they aren't jarring, choppy or unnatural. There is no flashy editing, sticking to the traditional continuity editing style and  the narrative takes primary place. 

We are then invited towards the big group playing poker. Although they seem happy, or relatively in comparison to the other customer's we've met thus far, beneath their surface appearance they too, reek of desperation. One of the women beckons the waiter over to ask if Rick will share a drink with them. This builds suspense as we have heard so much about Rick but we have yet to meet him. It has a Gatsby effect on the viewers- we hear Captain Renault mention him, it is blatantly obvious we are in Rick's bar and now we hear that Rick never drinks with customers. The mysterious uncertainty engages the viewer; keeps them watching. 

It is important to note the poker table prop in the mis-en-scene aids in adding to the characterisation of the group. We get the sense of desperation and despair from the group that is present within all the customers. We can feel this when they ask to share a drink with Rick. However we are left with the question of why are they playing poker? Is it just for fun or is there another layer of meaning here? Of course there is... we're in Casablanca. Although this group projects wealth and glamour with their costumes they obviously don't have enough money for a visa. 

the eyelines of everyone at the table don't match up as one of the men claim "perhaps if you told him i ran the second largest banking house in Amsterdam" putting their group on a pedestal above every other customer, Yet the waiter undermines his position stating "Second largest? it wouldn't impress Rick; The leading banker in Amsterdam is now the pastry chef in our kitchen". This witty comment is not only to provide comic relief, but also functions to inform the audience that even the most elegant and wealthy looking group in the place is essentially going nowhere, not impressing anyone, not on top of any pedestal. Stuck in Casablanca just waiting...waiting...waiting  

Right where the shot is expected to cut the waiter turns around with one more line; "and his father is the bell boy".

Additionally it can be noted that there is a range of customers in the scene, from locals dressed in traditional Moroccan outfits to people glammed up in their finest jewels. Additionally there are a range of different dialects and accents to be heard in the scene. The array of people found in the bar emulating the seedy and suspicious atmosphere can also  be seen through the lighting. Although the elegant and delicate patterns from the chandelier can be seen reflected on the walls, the lighting is quite dark and there is a lot of shadows.

we are then shown to the first close up of the scene; a check that we see Rick signing, delaying the introduction of our protagonist furthermore. It then cuts to a shot with a chessboard, an ashtray and cigarette and a drink in the mis-en-scene. We see Rick's arm in the frame adding to the enigma, now on the edge of our seats  ready to meet the infamous Rick. He seems to be almost half way in and out of the situation. By looking at the props we can gather that Rick is an intelligent and logical person as he is playing chess. However, we can also gather that he is a bit of a lone-wolf, sat down playing chess alone. Even though he seems superior to his customers by refusing to have a drink with them, the cigarette and drink at his table suggest a slight relation to the people at the club.  The hand in the shot then picks up the cigarette, and the camera follows the cigarette up to Rick's face as he takes a drag. He is dressed starkly in white and black, perhaps to highlight his cynical black and white outlook on life. He displays furrowed brows and a harsh exterior- not exactly as cheerful in contrast to Sam or the bartender. There is a brief moment of silence before the piano continues it's light melody.

Paris Flashback Scene

Despite the fact a flashback is technically dabbling in the rules of the traditional editing style where the narrative structure is usually linear, it is done in a way that ensures the audience is fully aware it is, in fact, a flashback. The image becomes quite blurred as the harp begins to bleed into the non-diegetic melody. Immediately the scene is set with the l'arc De Triomph in the frame. The audience now knows exactly where we are before cutting to a mid shot with Rick and Ilsa behind the wheel, driving. Rick is seen in complete contrast to the previous scene due to the change in cinematography and sound. The lighting was dark and he was sat teary-eyed in the shadows whilst melancholic music played in the background, whereas in this shot, he is smiling, dressed in softer tones of grey speckles and he is lit under a lot of natural lighting. Furthermore, he is seen with Ilsa by his side, also looking quite happy. Physically, they are positioned quite close together and their eye lines are matching. The violins play an uplifting romantic tune as the presumed couple drive along the road together.
They are also pictured on a boat together as the music continues, once again stood side-by-side, playfully laughing. The Eiffel tower and the river Seine can be seen in the mis-en-scene. It then cuts to Ilsa arranging flowers as Rick sits in the background popping champagne.
Rick begins to ask questions about Ilsa; "who are you really and what were you before? what did you do and what did you think, huh?" as Ilsa replies "we said no questions". The audience is now aware when the pair first met, their relationship wasn't intended to be serious. The director is using dramatic irony here. Rick then goes on to use his signature catchphrase "here's looking at you kid".The romantic montage then continues and the scene cuts to the two slow dancing, physically positioned very close together as the camera slowly zooms in on them. The disco ball omits romantic star-like patterns on the wall and Unlike Ilsa and Victor, who appear physically distant in all their scenes together, Rick and Ilsa seem to have undeniable sexual chemistry which just isn't there in Ilsa's marriage.
It then cuts to Ilsa standing before Rick in a silky dress and rick sitting down at a lower position on the couch. The fluttery texture of the curtain combined the silky texture of Ilsa's costume paired with the golden hues of the luxurious looking room sets the scene perfectly; it's very Romantic and sexual. We are then brought to an over-the-shoulder shot as Ilsa explains the situation with her *dead* husband. In contrast to the naturally lit, bright scenes included in the flashback thus far, in this one, the cinematography is slightly darker and there is some shadows across Ilsa's face. Her eyes are glassy and performance-wise, she's carrying a lot of depth in this moment. By the way the actress delivers her lines you can tell she genuinely believes her husband fate. Then, by the prolonged kiss the audience picks up on the sexual nature of their relationship and fills in the blank on what happens next.
The scene suddenly cuts to a jarring documentary clip and the music changes abruptly. The nazi's are invading France, and with that the relationship blossoming between our two main protagonists.
We are then brought to a slight recreation of Rick's bar scene. The name of the bar-"La Belle Aurore" is beautifully spelled out in shadows across the floor, influenced by the aspects of film noir. Sam is sat playing the piano as the camera begins zooming in towards them and Ilsa gets a quick close up because, once again she is carrying quite a bit of emotional depth and weight in this scene. Ingrid Bergman has the task of displaying the knowledge of her alive and well husband, which I personally think she pulls off. In a close up of Sam , as jolly and cheerful as always says grinning through his teeth "this outta take the sting outta be occupied, doesn't it Mr. Rick?". Suddenly we hear the diegetic                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            sound of the hustle and bustle outside the window-the Gustapo. Lisa gasps "with the whole world falling apart we picked the best time to fall in love" as she turns to face Rick. They are both framed standing close gazing into each others eyes. Rick states "yeah it's pretty bad timing. Where were you- say- ten years ago?". It then cuts to a close up of Ilsa, glancing at the floor and smiling then back up to Rick says "yes, I was having a brace put on my teeth" which highlights the age difference and reminds us of Ilsa's young age and naivety.
They begin to embrace as they heard a loud thud outside. The romantic music begins to play over the loud bangs outside. As the couple begin to make plans to escape the city, they are framed in an over-the-shoulder shot. As the conversation goes on, Bergman, appearing glassy-eyed, has the task of portraying the subtext surrounding her husband on her face. The violin plays in the background as  she declares she will meet Rick at the train station because she has some errands to run first. Dramatic irony comes into play here.
Rick, displayed in a mid shot, sat down at a table with Ilsa also in frame, begins joking- yes, our cynical Rick joking- about the captain marrying them on the ship. Ilsa shies away, covering her face with her hand. Through this stage direction the audience gathers she can't bear to even look at him. She begins to tear up before confessing " I love you so much, and i hate this war so much". The tragic nature of their relationship evokes emotion within the audience and manipulates them into feeling sympathy for our protagonists here. She continues "kiss me. Kiss me as if it were the last time" as the diegetic rumbling of canons from outside can be heard. The couple then engage in a passionate kiss as the camera pans down to a glass being knocked over signifying sex, and for Ilsa this means her goodbye.
The scene then fades into a new setting whilst dramatic diegetic music plays in the background. There are people running around frantically, setting a hectic atmosphere as the rain sets the scene for sorrow. Rick then emerges from the crowd of people, pushing and shoving his way through to look for Ilsa. It then cuts to Sam who makes his way over to Rick to break the news. We are brought to a close up  shot of Ilsa's letter. The melancholic violins play in a minor key and become more intense as raindrops and ink bleed down the page. Through an over the shoulder shot, we hear the conductor blow his whistle as Sam disclaims "that's the last call Mr. Richard". Rick's reaction is in the shot, however it then switches to a mid shot as Sam places his hand on Ricks back and guides him through.  They hop on the train and steam fills the screen, fading away and bleeding into the next scene as we are brought back to the present day.

The End Scene
Emotionally, this is the highest point in the film. We get to see the storyline reach it's climax and in a way,  some resolution too, although it isn't spelled out exactly.
The scene begins with an establishing shot of the airport as to corroborate with the audience exactly where we are. A car approaches and Ilsa, Rick, Laszlo and Captain Renault emerge from it. They are all displayed in trench coats and hats, except for Renault who is in uniform. Rick tells Renault to write down Ilsa and Lazslo's name on the papers of transit, and thus begins the infamous Casablanca end scene.
As soon as Rick delivers that line, non diegetic tense music begins. Ilsa Grabs Rick's arm and utters "But why my name Richard" and the shot transitions to a classic two shot, ensuring to frame the pair together. Rick replies "because you're getting on that plane" as the camera zooms in even closer. Rick and Ilsa are framed facing each other, standing so close the brim of their hats nearly meet.  The extreme fog and mist ensures that nothing else can be seen in the mise-en-scene. In this moment, only Rick and Ilsa exist. it further symbolises the unknown fate of the future. Ilsa begins protesting, almost like a child throwing a tantrum whilst Rick gets his stoic male moment. Rick supports his decision with the statement "nine chances out of ten we'd both end up at a concentration camp, isn't that true Louis?". The camera cuts to Renault who, after being held at gun point and forced down here says in a non-chalant mannor "i'm afraid Mr. Strasser would insist". Although, the nature of this scene is complete honesty; the dialogue is the least cryptic it has been throughout the entire movie, Renault either way has absolutely no reason to lie.  The camera once again begins zooming in towards the pair once again; very typical of Curtis to use a moving camera.
Through an over-the-shoulder shot Rick declares "if that plane leaves the ground and you're not with him you'll regret it". Although Rick is the one delivering lines here, the camera rests on Ilsa for her reaction. Her eyes are filled with tears and her face is well lit. a band of shadow lies across her forehead as a result of her hat. The cinematography here is extremely well done. Rick continues: "Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon, and for the rest of your life". Rick enumerates through his lines, almost as if having rehearsed this speech beforehand. Possibly thinking if he can keep his emotions below the surface and stay dominant he won't change his mind. Perhaps it wasn't enough to have to think for the both of them, he also has to stay strong for the both of them. The camera briefly cuts to Ilsa for her to deliver her line "but what about us?" and Rick humbly states "We'll always have Paris". He also displays a band of shadow across his forehead, yet his face isn't quite as exposed to light as Ilsa's. Rick begins "i'm no good at being noble"-quite ironic considering this is his big heroic moment-"but it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world". Whilst Rick considers the bigger picture, only Ilsa is framed. She is beautifully lit and is carrying quite a heavy burden in terms of displaying the emotional depth of the scene. She bows her head down and her face fades slightly into darkness, her emotions hidden underneath her hat as a clever use of cinematography, yet Rick places his hand on her chin and lifts her back up into the light, for one last glimpse of her face before the camera switches back to him for his signature catchphrase "here's looking at you kid". In spite of the fact this is Rick's time to shine, his big,  bold and brazen moment, Ilsa seems to be getting most of the camera time. There is another moment of gazing into each other's eyes, soaking up each other's presence, almost capturing every detail of each other for one last time as the non-diegetic romantic music continues to play.  All forms of film function come into play in this scene; part of the reason it is notorious in cinematic history.
The camera then abruptly cuts followed by a change in music. We see Major Strasser rapidly driving and honking his horn, presumably heading to the airport. Laszlo then returns to the scene, having more of a function in this one. As the conversation flows, an ambiguity arises of whether or not Laszlo knows about Victor and Ilsa. Victor's hat is also used to display shadow across his face in this scene. This interaction is mostly shot in over-the-shoulder shots, using the shot, reverse, shot format. Matching eye-lines are used for the ephemeral moment that Ilsa enters the conversation as to accommodate the traditional editing style.
It can be seen that it is a moment of character development growth for Rick when Laszlo comments "welcome back to the fight". He has left the old cynical Rick behind. He is no longer the man who sticks his neck out for nobody. Laszlo continues "and this time i know our side will win", serving as a line of propaganda.
The propellers on the plane begin to spin, getting ready for take off and the three each get a quick close up, with a very sleek use of matching eye-lines once again, ensuring not to confuse the audience. Rick and Ilsa exchange a quick goodbye, with their lengthy farewell and formalities already out of the way, and Ilsa and Rick disappear into the mist of the unknown whilst "As Time Goes By" reaches a climax, ending on an imperfect cadence and bleeding into a less intense song to play in the next cut.
Renault acts as a mouthpiece for the audience by mentioning Rick's character development, expressing "well I was right. You are a sentimentalist".
Strasser shows up and is framed next to Renault, highlighting the stark height difference and essentially the power structure. Yet as this scene unfolds, Strasser falls to the bottom of that structure among other things. Strasser attempts to stop the plane as Rick scolds "I was willing to shoot Captain Renault and i'm willing to shoot you". The scenes cut quite quickly between both characters as tension rises. Strasser pulls out his gun and Rick shoots. A diegetic gunshot can be heard with the action reaching it's climax whilst our antagonist falls to the ground. A group of infantry appear at the scene of the crime. Renault declares in a long shot "Major Strasser has been shot". There is a lingering moment of tension as Rick and Renault both receive close ups and a brief bar of "As Time Goes By" can be heard in accompaniment to the non-diegetic trumpets already playing. In an over-the-shoulder shot Renault imperitively commands "round up the usual suspects. The camera pans quite quickly to Rick who is grinning an appreciative grin.
After the infantry pick up the dead body and drive away with it, the bottle of Vichy water receives a close up, symbolically representing the Vichy government.  Both Renault and Rick are framed in this scene through a mid-shot. Renault states "well Rick you're not only a sentimentalist but you've become a patriot" as Rick replies "maybe, but it seemed like a good time to start". The camera pans towards Renault, who looks at his bottle of Vichy water and says "I think perhaps you're right", and with that throws the bottle in the bin; a true patriotic moment.
Echoes of the opening scene can be heard as the camera cuts to the plane taking off whilst Renault and Rick watch as it flies over them. As soon as the plane can no longer be seen, the music changes to something a bit more uplifting as they begin walking side by side and the camera follows them.  This change in music can be seen as closure to the Rick and Ilsa dynamic. Although the ending isn't exactly what the audience is hoping for, it is not necessarily a sad ending. Although Rick didn't get the girl, he still managed to provide some hope for America in the war. He and Renault are seen walking off into the midst of the unknown as Rick states "Louis, i think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship".