Description
of Classroom Activities
Lesson
Plan Activity #1 Triumph of the Will
Lesson
Plan Activity #2 Triumph of the Will
Lesson
Plan Activity #3 Casablanca
Activity #1: Classroom Discussion: What is the Most Famous Line in Casablanca?
Conduct a Classroom discussion, addressing the following questions:
- What does a viewer need to know about geography, WWII, and the Nazis to understand Casablanca?
- What is the image of women in Casablanca?
- Does the Paris flashback add to or take away from the film? Does Rick seem to be a different man in Paris? Explain what he means when, at the film’s end, he says to Ilsa, “We’ll always have Paris.”
- Viktor Laszlo has a dual role in the film—he is both a Resistance fighter and Ilsa’s husband. In terms of the film’s argument or rhetoric, which is more important?
- How does the acting in this film compare/contrast with the acting in contemporary films? Are these actors more dramatic, even melodramatic? Do they appear to overact or underact?
- Identify the elements of romance in Casablanca. In other words, how are the romantic elements in the film communicated? (Ingrid Bergman, for instance, is almost always shown from the left side—her “better” side. Curtiz put catch lights in her eyes and used a filter on the camera in her close-ups.)
- Discuss the theme of redemption in connection with Rick, Ilsa, and Capt. Renault.
- Rick announces several times that his primary interest is self-preservation. He says that he does not have an opinion on the war and that he is neutral. To what degree does Rick’s position early in Casablanca resemble the posture of the U.S. before its entry into combat in Europe?
- Identify and discuss the film’s many famous lines. The teacher should write a list of some of these on the board before asking the question. Ask the students to complete the list with their own suggestions. Which line do they think is the most famous? Which line is the most important?
Activity #2: What Was Casablanca Really Like?
Ask student to research events in French Morocco during WWII. How closely do they mirror events referenced in Casablanca? Have them write up their findings in a short expository paper. Make sure that they acknowledge their sources.
Activity #3:Would You Have Joined the Resistance?
Ask students to research the accomplishments of the Resistance movement in Europe. Have them narrow their search to one country and then write a short position paper whether or not they would have joined the Resistance effort in that country. Have them discuss whether ethical values such as integrity and honesty are involved in their decision. Tell them to be sure to credit their sources.
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