CIRCUS CASABLANCA

Denmark, 1981, 99 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Erik Clausen.

Circus Casablanca is a Danish road film about a group of offbeat characters - Charlie the conman and his small circus, Ib, his friend and supporter of the circus acts and Laila, the neurotic girl whom they befriend. It is spring and summer in Denmark as this small group goes around the countryside encountering people on the streets, beaches, factories, on television etc. The characters are drawn humorously and realistically - at times sympathetic, at times very irritating. As a view of a subculture, the film has warmth and interest.

1. An entertaining slice of life and view of a subculture? The road movie plot? The detailed sketching of characters?

2. The Danish atmosphere: countryside, cities, people, a cross-section? Colour photography? Jaunty score and songs?
3. Audiences and their response to circuses? The spectacle, the special acts? The Circus Casablanca as a seedy, small and tawdry carnival side-show? On the move? The comparisons with real circuses? Circus Casablanca as the circus of the little man, the ordinary man with success, failure, cheating, happiness, disaster, the rebound? The circus as a symbol? The characters representing the ordinary citizen?

4. Charlie as central: the conman, the actor, the salesman? His strength of character, warmth? His self-centredness and drive? His continued spiels? Salesman - tough and rough (and humorously vulgar!)? The plot opening in spring, the season for travel? His attachment to Rosita - and her death in the fire? Collecting Ib, friendship with Carl and his wife, going on the road? The humorous encounters with the police making them move on? The showman, exhibiting the acts? His believing in himself and the acts? Picking up Laila and making her part of the troupe? Friendship with her, hurting her? Making her part of the magic act? His reliance on Ib, pushing him, ridiculing him? The goal of buying the cannon and making Ib the human cannonball? The continued phone calls to the agent? The variety of jobs? The performance for the union and collecting the money (and stealing off the top)? Being on TV? The range of people encountered? The selling Swampoo and his ability at it, the advice of the floor manager, the rebellion against him? The visit to Liliana and his children? His disappointment with her? Stories about Carl, memories? His death and the funeral celebration? The magic act and its poor reception? The evening with Gerda and the burning of the car and caravan? The fight with Ib? His resilience and the final tap-dancing with his son playing the spoons? A well-rounded character portrayal? A sketch of the wanderer?

5. The comparison with Ib - his cleaning the windows, relationship with his mother? The variety of his acts as a strong man? The illustration of his escaping from the chains and ropes? The breaking of the slab, the fire-eating? His shyness? His stupidity and shrewdness? His attachment to Charlie and being able to be persuaded by him? His attention to Laila - admiration, frustration? His fear of the cannon - yet his getting inside it and smiling? Life on the road, his regards to Liliana? Boredom when Charlie was working in the shop? His admiration for Carl and telling the stories? His fighting Charlie at the end - and his final working with Laila?

6. Laila - her appearance, getting the lift, becoming involved, cooking, sexual relationship, disappointment with Charlie, sharing the acts? Friendship with Ib - talking with him, hearing the story? Her background, neurotic or not? Her participation in the magic act? The fire? The ending? A likable girl?

7. Carl and Ib's mother - Carl's death and her tribute that he made people dance and be happy? Liliana and Benny, the kids?

8. The picture of the police - their telling the group to move on and their being mocked? Their winning out in the end? The union officials and the performance on the television? The compere and the town and his anger about the funeral, the magic act? The townspeople and their viciousness? Gerda and Charlie's approach to her, her response?

9. The road, sharing the way of life, work on the streets, in the countryside, on the beach, in the markets? Danish lifestyle? The economic situation?

10. Benign realism and optimism?