- Martin Scorsese’s “The Wolf of Wall Street” is a white-collar mafia story. In other words, the classical Hollywood theme of mafia gangsters chased by the good guys (the policemen) is reenacted in this movie. The movie is nevertheless successful because it avoids duplication, telling the story originally, revealing the mystery behind the Wall Street brokers’ lifestyle in a direct and unique manner, which incorporates the features of what a story should be like, according to Robert McKee (1-8). Throughout the movie, Belfort (the story writer) seems to have considered the audience, perfecting the story of his film until the end product inspires and captures its viewers and this indicates respecting the audience (McKee 7). The story of “The Wolf of Wall Street” masters the art (McKee 6), because it is adapted on the current times, on the actor that interprets the main part (Leonardo di Caprio), creating a consistent and full of substance drama.
On the contrary, the film “A Case of You” does not succeed to deliver originality. The classical theme of the boy chasing the girl for creating a romantic product is delivered as a cliché, which invites stereotypes that should not be in a story, according to McKee (4). The content and the form of the story “A Case of You” seem to be distinct elements, as they do not intertwine. As such, viewers assist at a broken story, wherein the main character suddenly changes his attitude about the girl he chased obsessively, not letting the audience understanding how he got at that point. According to Mckee (6) this broken story is an indication that the writer disdained the audience for the purpose of proving an idea. The idea that in the end love breaks all the barriers is poorly presented in this film, as “A Case of You” only duplicates similar stories, by telling it in the same way that it was told before.
2. The film “Casablanca” succeeds in making specific cultural elements to travel around the world, becoming exotic for the viewers. As Mckee (4) indicates, the key to a good story is “to be about archetypes, not stereotypes”. “Casablanca” captures the archetype of the French culture during the Second World War, which traveled the world reaching South America with its unchanged value - the hope for liberty (“Casablanca”).
The fact that this movie appeared in 1942, while the Second World War was at its peak, makes it realistic. Not only the film’s connection with the war related events are accurately transcribed in the film, but “Casablanca” engages viewers in a sensitive reality. It decomposes the mysteries of a secretive world. Moreover, the film’s screen players (Epstein, Epstein, Koch and Robinson) deliver “the purity of a dramatized scene” (McKee 6) throughout the development of the movie. Finding out that his former lover, Ilsa Lund, left him because of her devotion to her husband she thought dead (Victor Laszlo, the Czech leader of the Nazi Resistance) increases the drama of Rick Blain. In the same time, it reveals the excruciating reality that Rick Blain feels for letting go to the love of his life (“Casablanca”).
In fact, love and war are two main themes in Hollywood and in “Casablanca” they are revealed as eternal and not as simple formulas, following principles, not rules for telling a story (Mckee 3). However, although the film is composed of eternal themes, it is nevertheless original, due to its distinctive content and form (McKee 8). The story of “Casablanca” develops creatively around a major event in the history of mankind, delivering substance as it combines uniquely the content and the form, revealing a love story during a time of war.
Works Cited
Belfort, Jordan. The Wolf of Wall Street. New York: Paramount Pictures. 2013. Film.
Epstein, Julius, J., Epstein, Phillip, G., Koch, Howard & Robinson, Casey. Casablanca. California: Warner Bros. 1942. Film.
Long, Justin, Long, Christian & O’Donnell, Keir. A Case of You. Singapore: Lagniappe Films, I’m So Sorry Productions, Mega Playground. 2014. Film.
McKee, Robert. Story. Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, Inc. 1997. Print.
