Scene after Flashback in Casablanca

INT. RICK'S CAFÉ - MAIN ROOM - NIGHT

Shot Time Screenshot and Transitions Script Soundtrack Lighting Screen

[DISSOLVE TO: ]

1 00.00

CUT TO: Piano can be heard playing 'You must remember this, a kiss is...', [over this we hear the glass fall; piano breaks off as Rick is revealed] Darkened room. Light from top R highlighting (when it appears) R's left shoulder, right arm and left hand (leaving his face in darkness until the left arm drops). CU up of a bottle and a glass on the table in foreground. Hand from R knocks over glass. Pan to R, leaving bottle screen L and showing MCU Rick screen R facing R, looking down, head in L hand. Left hand drops to table.

2 00.06
CUT TO: Room still dark. Main light from top right illuminates R's right arm and profile. Some backlighting from L picks out R's L shoulder and S's profile. Low light on back wall. After camera pulls back, light brightens from top L, illuminating R's back and S's face, then fades rapidly. After righting the glass, S retreats into shadow as light from R picks's out R's arm again. When I enters she seems to emanate light. MCU shot from RHS of Rick centre screen, right arm towards us, looking past him into the room. Sam enters rapidly (in shadow) from L, rounding table to R as camera dollies back rapidly leaving R in MS at L and S facing him at R. S rights the glass and a chair. R grabs the bottle. The door opens and R glances over as I enters.

3 00.17
CUT TO: Main light from top R. Low angle CU of R in central foreground, continuing glance R.

4 00.19
CUT TO: Tense orchestral music in background. I is primarily backlit but also lit from upper L. CU of I looking slightly L (eyeline match) as she closes the door behind her.

5 00.23
CUT TO: Orchestral music Low angle CU of R in central foreground, looking R (eyeline match) and returning tilted bottle to upright as a slight smile briefly crosses his lips.

6 00.26

CUT TO: ILSA: Rick, I have to talk to you.
RICK: Oh, I saved my first drink to have with you. Here. [he pushes the bottle towards her]
ILSA: No. No, Rick. Not tonight. [she sits]
RICK: Especially tonight. [he pours a drink]
ILSA: Please.
RICK: Why did you have to come to Casablanca? There are other places.
ILSA: I wouldn't have come if I had known that you were here. Believe me, Rick. It's true. I didn't know.
RICK: It's funny about your voice, how it hasn't changed. I can still hear it. "Richard dear. I'll go with you any place. We'll get on a train together and never stop."
ILSA: Please don't. Don't, Rick. I can understand how you feel.
RICK: Huh! You understand how I feel. How long was it we had, honey?
ILSA: I didn't count the days.
RICK: Well, I did... Orchestral music, including 'As Time Goes By' Main light picks our R's right arm. I catches the light as she goes screen R, especially as she reaches the table. Beacon of light sweeps across the back window. MCU of R in L foreground from behind, R looking at now darkened I in doorway. She crosses R into the room and stands at RHS of R's table in MLS. Tighter (lower) CU two-shot (favouring I) as she sits down.

7 01.10
CUT TO: RICK: Every one of them. Mostly I remember the last one. A wow finish. A guy standing on a station platform in the rain with a comical look on his face because his insides... Orchestral music Main light from top R OTS (over-the-shoulder) MCU of R, screen L, facing us, looking R towards I, shoulder at RHS

8 01.21

CUT TO: RICK: ...had been kicked out [knocks back drink].
ILSA: Can I tell you a story, Rick?
RICK: Has it got a wow finish?
ILSA: I don't know the finish yet. Orchestral music continues. Beacon of light still rotates, lighting back window. Main light on I from top L, R's R arm also lit. MCU OTS two-shot of R screen L, R arm towards us. I screen R facing us.

9 01.31
CUT TO: RICK: Well, go on, tell it. Maybe one will come to you as you go along. Orchestral music continues. Main light from top R. CU of Rick facing us, looking offscreen R towards I, then looking away.

10 01.35
CUT TO: ILSA: It's about a girl who has just come to Paris from her home in Oslo. At the house of some friends she met a man about whom she'd heard her whole life, a very great and courageous man. He opened up for her a whole beautiful world full of knowledge and thoughts and ideals. Everything she knew or ever became was because of him. And she looked up to him and worshipped him with a feeling she supposed was love. Orchestral music continues, with violins (more romantic) Main light from top L. The light catches I's face. (Reverse shot) CU of I looking offscreen L towards R.

11 02.04
CUT TO: RICK: Yes, that's very pretty. I heard a story once. As a matter of fact, I've heard a lot of stories in my time. They went along with the sound of a tinny piano playing in the parlour downstairs. Orchestral music continues, darker Main light from top R. (Reverse shot) CU of R looking down to L and then across to I.

12 02.15
CUT TO: RICK: "Mister, I met a man once when I was a kid" it'd always begin... Orchestral music continues. Main light from top L. (Reverse shot) CU of I looking offscreen at R screen L. There's a tear on her cheek. She closes her eyes and looks down.

13 02.20
CUT TO: RICK: Huh. [looks down] I guess neither one of our stories was very funny. Tell me [he looks up]... Orchestral music continues. Main light from top R. (Reverse shot) CU of R looking down to L and then across to I.

14 02.27
CUT TO: RICK: Who was it you left me for? Was it Lazzlo, or were there others in between? Orchestral music continues. Main light from top L. (Reverse shot) CU of I looking down. There's a tear on her cheek. She looks up.

15 02.33
CUT TO: RICK: Or aren't you the kind that tells? Orchestral music continues. Main light from top R.< (Reverse shot) CU of R looking across to I, then bottle moving L as R pours another drink.

16 02.36

CUT TO: Orchestral music continues. Main light from top L. CU of I looking offscreen at R screen L. She rises from her chair, turning screen L.

17 02.40

CUT TO: Orchestral music continues. Main light from top L but R's right arm lit. I brightly lit. Two-shot CU as I rises to leave, turning her back to us and walking rapidly towards the door as R swigs his drink screen L.

18 02.45

FADE TO BLACK Orchestral music, including 'You must remember this...' Sound of door closing. Main light from top R but room generally brighter. R's head drops into deep shadow. Frontal CU of R. He buries his head in his hands as camera tracks in to a tighter CU.

Note that some of the screenshots above are details rather than full-screen shots. For a scene-by-scene outline, click here

Script and Stills

Anobile, Richard J (Ed) (1974): Michael Curtiz's 'Casablanca' (Film Classics Library). London: Pan/Macmillan [comprehensive sequence of stills from the film]
Epstein, Julius & Philippe with Howard Koch (1942): Casablanca : The Script [WWW document] http://www.godamongdirectors.com/scripts/casablanca.pdf

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Shot	Time	Screenshot and Transitions	Script	Soundtrack	Lighting	Screen
		[DISSOLVE TO: ]
1	00.00	CUT TO:		Piano can be heard playing 'You must remember this, a kiss is...', [over this we hear the glass fall; piano breaks off as Rick is revealed]	Darkened room. Light from top R highlighting (when it appears) R's left shoulder, right arm and left hand (leaving his face in darkness until the left arm drops).	CU up of a bottle and a glass on the table in foreground. Hand from R knocks over glass. Pan to R, leaving bottle screen L and showing MCU Rick screen R facing R, looking down, head in L hand. Left hand drops to table.
2	00.06	CUT TO:			Room still dark. Main light from top right illuminates R's right arm and profile. Some backlighting from L picks out R's L shoulder and S's profile. Low light on back wall. After camera pulls back, light brightens from top L, illuminating R's back and S's face, then fades rapidly. After righting the glass, S retreats into shadow as light from R picks's out R's arm again. When I enters she seems to emanate light.	MCU shot from RHS of Rick centre screen, right arm towards us, looking past him into the room. Sam enters rapidly (in shadow) from L, rounding table to R as camera dollies back rapidly leaving R in MS at L and S facing him at R. S rights the glass and a chair. R grabs the bottle. The door opens and R glances over as I enters.
3	00.17	CUT TO:			Main light from top R.	Low angle CU of R in central foreground, continuing glance R.
4	00.19	CUT TO:		Tense orchestral music in background.	I is primarily backlit but also lit from upper L.	CU of I looking slightly L (eyeline match) as she closes the door behind her.
5	00.23	CUT TO:		Orchestral music		Low angle CU of R in central foreground, looking R (eyeline match) and returning tilted bottle to upright as a slight smile briefly crosses his lips.
6	00.26	CUT TO:	ILSA: Rick, I have to talk to you. RICK: Oh, I saved my first drink to have with you. Here. [he pushes the bottle towards her] ILSA: No. No, Rick. Not tonight. [she sits] RICK: Especially tonight. [he pours a drink] ILSA: Please. RICK: Why did you have to come to Casablanca? There are other places. ILSA: I wouldn't have come if I had known that you were here. Believe me, Rick. It's true. I didn't know. RICK: It's funny about your voice, how it hasn't changed. I can still hear it. "Richard dear. I'll go with you any place. We'll get on a train together and never stop." ILSA: Please don't. Don't, Rick. I can understand how you feel. RICK: Huh! You understand how I feel. How long was it we had, honey? ILSA: I didn't count the days. RICK: Well, I did...	Orchestral music, including 'As Time Goes By'	Main light picks our R's right arm. I catches the light as she goes screen R, especially as she reaches the table. Beacon of light sweeps across the back window.	MCU of R in L foreground from behind, R looking at now darkened I in doorway. She crosses R into the room and stands at RHS of R's table in MLS. Tighter (lower) CU two-shot (favouring I) as she sits down.
7	01.10	CUT TO:	RICK: Every one of them. Mostly I remember the last one. A wow finish. A guy standing on a station platform in the rain with a comical look on his face because his insides...	Orchestral music	Main light from top R	OTS (over-the-shoulder) MCU of R, screen L, facing us, looking R towards I, shoulder at RHS
8	01.21	CUT TO:	RICK: ...had been kicked out [knocks back drink]. ILSA: Can I tell you a story, Rick? RICK: Has it got a wow finish? ILSA: I don't know the finish yet.	Orchestral music continues. Beacon of light still rotates, lighting back window.	Main light on I from top L, R's R arm also lit.	MCU OTS two-shot of R screen L, R arm towards us. I screen R facing us.
9	01.31	CUT TO:	RICK: Well, go on, tell it. Maybe one will come to you as you go along.	Orchestral music continues.	Main light from top R.	CU of Rick facing us, looking offscreen R towards I, then looking away.
10	01.35	CUT TO:	ILSA: It's about a girl who has just come to Paris from her home in Oslo. At the house of some friends she met a man about whom she'd heard her whole life, a very great and courageous man. He opened up for her a whole beautiful world full of knowledge and thoughts and ideals. Everything she knew or ever became was because of him. And she looked up to him and worshipped him with a feeling she supposed was love.	Orchestral music continues, with violins (more romantic)	Main light from top L. The light catches I's face.	(Reverse shot) CU of I looking offscreen L towards R.
11	02.04	CUT TO:	RICK: Yes, that's very pretty. I heard a story once. As a matter of fact, I've heard a lot of stories in my time. They went along with the sound of a tinny piano playing in the parlour downstairs.	Orchestral music continues, darker	Main light from top R.	(Reverse shot) CU of R looking down to L and then across to I.
12	02.15	CUT TO:	RICK: "Mister, I met a man once when I was a kid" it'd always begin...	Orchestral music continues.	Main light from top L.	(Reverse shot) CU of I looking offscreen at R screen L. There's a tear on her cheek. She closes her eyes and looks down.
13	02.20	CUT TO:	RICK: Huh. [looks down] I guess neither one of our stories was very funny. Tell me [he looks up]...	Orchestral music continues.	Main light from top R.	(Reverse shot) CU of R looking down to L and then across to I.
14	02.27	CUT TO:	RICK: Who was it you left me for? Was it Lazzlo, or were there others in between?	Orchestral music continues.	Main light from top L.	(Reverse shot) CU of I looking down. There's a tear on her cheek. She looks up.
15	02.33	CUT TO:	RICK: Or aren't you the kind that tells?	Orchestral music continues.	Main light from top R.<	(Reverse shot) CU of R looking across to I, then bottle moving L as R pours another drink.
16	02.36	CUT TO:		Orchestral music continues.	Main light from top L.	CU of I looking offscreen at R screen L. She rises from her chair, turning screen L.
17	02.40	CUT TO:		Orchestral music continues.	Main light from top L but R's right arm lit. I brightly lit.	Two-shot CU as I rises to leave, turning her back to us and walking rapidly towards the door as R swigs his drink screen L.
18	02.45	FADE TO BLACK		Orchestral music, including 'You must remember this...' Sound of door closing.	Main light from top R but room generally brighter. R's head drops into deep shadow.	Frontal CU of R. He buries his head in his hands as camera tracks in to a tighter CU.