Classical style in film form

 

Classical style in film form

The classical style is a definition used in film criticism to describe the narrative and visual style of a film-making and its elements. This style in film form is considered to be very characteristic of Hollywood cinema between the 1910’s up to the 1960’s. Casablanca being a good example of the classical style as it was released in the middle of World War II, and for a film to be considered part of the classical style, it has to follow certain rules such as lighting, sound, performance and more.

Something to highlight from the film Casablanca that characterizes it as part of the classical style is the realistic and consistent performance that Rick gives. The owner of the nightclub holds the mysterious role during the war (while showing his impartiality) until the end in spite of encountering Lisa and reliving memories from the past. Captain Louis Renault is another character whose intentions are not very clear as he acts in his own benefit, what makes him constantly switch sides, which is a realistic way of surviving in times of war.
Lighting is also an important factor of classical style that sometimes gets overlooked. In the case of Casablanca, the black and white film makes it more difficult to analyze colors and reflections, but the use of searchlights, shadows and cars lights used to give an explanation of context is an intelligent way to compensate for the lack of colour. The well used lighting along with the sounds matching the screen actions and performance makes a perfect combination that gives the audience a realistic war and bar experience in general. Casablanca is also a great example of good editing. The camera usually cuts to the next shot and then smoothly follows an individual as a transition until the focus goes to another individual or object. The editing would not be as smooth if the sound was not as coordinated as it is without having modern techniques that are used today or the framings which some could be consider as metaphors or representations of the characters mood. The matching eyelines help the editing to feel realistic and not abrupt from one shot to another, which also helps the characters performance to be more believable for the audience. 

Without these elements the classical style would not be able to be classified as it. These characteristics make it different from other styles and genres, and even though it lacks new technologies and techniques, that is what makes it “old school” and representative of the last century.




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