CURTIZ

Hungary, 2018, 98 minutes, Black and white with moments of colour.
Ferenc Lengyel, Evelyn Dobos, Declan Hannigan, Scott Alexander Young, Raphael Feldman, Yan Feldman, Andrew Hefler, Nikolett Barabbas,
Directed by Tamas Yvan Topolanszky.

Michael Curtiz, a Jewish migrant from Hungary, had a very successful film career, noted director, at Warner Brothers during the 1930s, making a great number of action films, especially with the rising star, Errol Flynn. His reputation continued into the 1940s, especially with the Oscar-winning film, Casablanca, and his winning the Oscar as best director. He continued his career until the early 1960s, though after his period Warner Brothers, his films had less impact than the early films.

This is an imaginative drama about the making of Casablanca. Ferrenc Lengyel gives a strong performance as the director, not a sympathetic man. With the outbreak of World War II, he has relatives still in Europe and makes efforts to get his sister to the United States, and failing. However, his daughter appears, present at the studio, wanting to build up a relationship with her father after the estrangement. The director’s wife is a very suspicious.

While there are shadowy glimpses of Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart, the main member of the cast who is a member of this drama is German Conrad Veidt, anxious about playing a German and what effect that will have on his family. More prominent in this drama are the writers of Casablanca, Julius and Philip Epstein, with some moments showing how lines and scenes could be written at the last minute, and working to the insights as Well Is the whims of the director.

There are scenes with Warner Brothers head, Jack Warner, who wants a success and is impressed by intervention from Washington that Casablanca be a contributor to American morale boosting. There are also clashes with the prominent producer Hal B.Wallis. There are many sequences with the representative of the American government, his interference, making demands on how the film should go – while everybody is trying to work out what is the appropriate ending. There is also an alarming sequence when the government representative makes a sexual attack on Curtiz’s daughter.

Dooley Wilson, the musician in Casablanca, is also a character here and, with some of the melodies, one can hear traces of As Time Goes By.

1. Audiences response to Casablanca, as a film, its impact, awards, war propaganda? Movie classic?

2. Audience knowledge of its director, Michael Curtiz, his background, from Hungary, to the United States, Jewish background, working in Hollywood, his achievement during the 1930s? The making of Casablanca? His subsequent career?

3. A fictionalised interpretation of Curtiz, his character and background, his family, abandoning his wife and daughter, bringing them to America, the relationship with his daughter, his second marriage, his womanising, his reputation, the clashes with producer Hal B. Wallis, the arguments with Jack Warner? Pearl Harbor, the war in Europe, making a fiction, wanting a story of hope, the pressures to make it war propaganda? The critique by government officials? The dispute about the characters in Casablanca reflected in his relationship with his daughter, his final decisions, her leaving Hollywood?

4. Black-and-white photography, the moments of red indicating film action? The final projection and the blue?

5. The opening, Roosevelt and Pearl Harbor? Government officials and their meetings, patriotism, loyalty to the US, suspicions of those who were ambiguous? The decision to influence Casablanca? The discussions with Warner, his being beholden to the government? Curtiz and his sense of independence? Wallis and his producer perspective? These disputes continuing throughout the film? The final discussions with Warner?

6. The introduction of the writers, the twins, Julius and Philip Epstein? Their skills? Inventiveness? On set all the time, the wishes of the director, of the producer, of the government officials, their writing on the set, the scene with Ingrid Bergman and her objections?

7. Wallis, skilled producer, interactions with Warner, the discussions with Curtiz, continued change of perspectives, the budget, his personal hopes?

8. Kitty, her background, with her mother coming from Hungary, paid for by her father? Travelling from New York, lining up with the starlets, getting onto the set, Johnson and his attraction and their continued meetings, her leading him on, clashing? His sexual attack on her? Her father ignoring her, not acknowledging her? His having to concede her presence, on set, giving her access to the studio, her greater presence, suspicions that she was just one of Curtiz’s affairs, Curtiz and his wife, her suspicions, the waitress and the affair, in the studio office, his wife’s coming to the set, seeing the note, hostile to Kitty? Her husband severe with her? Kitty and the shock, the attack by Johnson, the discussions with her father, the flowers to her mother and their being rejected, the resolution with her father, leaving?

9. The actor S.Z. Sakall, Hungarian, confidant of Curtiz, their discussions?

10. Conrad Veidt, German, conscious of his being German, his family, playing the Nazi, Curtiz goading him with the music to be more authoritarian? The final concession that the Nazi should be shot?

11. Dooley Wilson on set, playing the piano, his significant in the film, As Time Goes By?

12. The details of filmmaking, the director and his assistant, interrupting, making phone calls to the Hungarian ambassador, costume design, production design – and the director’s pronunciation of puddle and the bringing of the poodles? The technicians, the staging, the rehearsals, the director and his interventions, criticisms, putting the actor out of the frame and dismissing him? The official forbidding the plane, constructing the small plane, getting the dwarfs as the technicians, small with the small plane?

13. Audience interest in the disputes about Casablanca?

14. Curtiz, trying to get his sister out of Hungary, the emotions, his change of heart and his final decisions? The information about his sister going to Auschwitz?

15. An insight into Hollywood, America in the 1930s and 40s, the war and stances, propaganda? The final information about Casablanca and its success both as influencing audiences and its Oscars?