Citizen Kane
- 1941 Directed by Orson Welles
- Considered to be one of the greatest movies ever made in America
- Bernard Hermann's first score [ex. main title music]
- Herrmann's score was responsible for 50 percent of the artistic success of Citizen Kane
- The film was an artistic success, not a commercial success.
- Tells the tale of Kane through the use of dramatic flashbacks from six main characters
- Opening Sequence clip contains the "Rosebud Theme"
- Campaign Scene show the diverse of use cinematography and lack of music
- The Glass Ball clip
- Reflections on the film
Casablanca
- 1942
- Music composed by Max Steiner
- The story of Casablanca takes place within a 48 hour period in December 1941
- Melodrama of love and sacrifice
- Rated as America's second greatest film after Citizen Kane
The Music
- Steiner's music plays a critical role in the film as a whole in the development of Rick's character.
- Provides an emotionally charged underscoring with frequent quotes of national melodies (French "Marseillaise" and German "Deutschland uber Alles" and "Die Wacht am Rhein")
- Source music which is predominantly American popular music plays a crucial role
- Made the tune "As Time Goes By" written by Herman Hupfeld in 1931 famous
Exposition
- Opening credits are presented against a map showing the location of Casablanca in relationship to Africa and Arabia
- Steiner's music helps to establish the locale through a percussive accompaniment and crashing gongs suggesting an Arabic setting.
- The opening tune is not original to the film. Was composed for an earlier film The Lost Patrol (1934) which was set in the Mesopotamian desert
- French "Marseillaise" is quoted to remind us of the French control of Morocco and suggesting patriotic emotions
- What happens on the last chord in the opening? What does this suggest?
The American popular song "As Time Goes By" as heard in the film
As Time Goes By (underscored as the love theme)
French "La Marseillaise" and German "Die Wacht am Rhein"
Trademark lines from films that have become part of our American Culture