Similar to Citizen Kane, it can be a daunting task trying to look at Casablanca with an objective modern eye considering its status in film history and pop culture lore. Contemporary audiences can carry such high expectations that these films can’t possibly live up to their mystique on their first viewing. In repeat viewings, though, classic films can often be appreciated more. Casablanca came out of Warner Bros. at a time when each studio had a unique personality that manifested itself through the genres of the pictures they produced. During the studio era, WB was known for its gritty style and its low-key lighting. Subject matter included low-life dramas and gangsters. The character of Rick Blaine fits in well with these themes. Rick professes to having no convictions and “sticks his neck out for nobody”. The role of Rick Blaine is certainly not one of the archetypical leading-man, although Warner's introduces Bogart’s character as one. Take for example the sequence in which Rick is first introduced on-screen. Initially, we see a man receiving a check, and then an insert shot of a hand signing it. After a quick angle change the camera pans back to reveal Bogart. Ultra dramatic screen entrances like this one were common with a Warner's production.
Another trademark of a Warner Bros. film was the supplying of back-story through dialogue and through flashbacks. Casablanca uses both. First when Captain Renault informs Rick that he is familiar with his background, and divulges that he knows about Rick’s past involvement against fascist forces. The second comes when a drunken Rick reminisces through a daydream about his past with Illsa. Both devices end up providing key information to the audience about Rick’s character. Naturally, a facet of both Warner Bros. films and all films during this era was the strict adherence to the production code. Even when gunfire erupts, victims collapse bloodless and with little drama. All of these studio elements are capped off by the Warner Bros. shield and logo at the beginning of the film. It acts as a seal of approval and hints at the type of film that is about to be seen. Little did audience members know, that when the Warner's logo first popped up before Casablanca, that they would be seeing one of the great masterpieces of cinema.
