Of the short films we've seen in class so far (with an exception for the police-dog chase scene), The Lonely Villa uniquely inspired in me a genuine emotional response. Perhaps it's the title, which highlights not the obvious premise but instead comments on the circumstance: by calling the house "lonely", we assume that it must take considerable time for Mr. Robert Cullison to reach his destination and return. We also assume that the Cullisons are secluded and have no neighbors to help them against the dangers presented in the film. One wonders if there is a lesson is being demonstrated here: that living in isolation is singularly dangerous. The editing of this particular short is very smooth, while conveying exactly what we want and need to know. Having been so obviously given the plot and feeling comfortable with the diegesis gives us the freedom to make such speculations and feel such reactions.

I think, in retrospect, this smoothness is precisely what makes Casablanca so easy to digest to the average moviegoer. When an audience isn't distracted or focused on the unconventional telling of a story, it can focus more intently on the story itself. I remember watching Casablanca the first time, my parents became engrossed in a surprisingly complicated discussion about the irony of Rick's benevolence towards the two young lovers hoping to leave Casablanca. With all due respect to my parents' strengths and intellect I think even they'd admit that they don't know much about analyzing films, but the easy pacing of the movie and the straightforward plot gave them the time they needed to appreciate much more than strictly necessary. There is an entire paragraph (which I will not quote) on page 370 in Polan's essay that talks about the ambiguity of the scene in which Rick and Ilsa may or may not have made love. While this lack of an explanation does pose an interesting question when Rick mentions the event to Laszlo, I found the ambiguity a simple and amazingly unnoticeable thing. Whereas in Citizen Kane the mysteries were obvious and jarringly unsettling (like when the shadows on the characters' faces or wide-angle lenses are used for dramatic effect), in Casablanca they're simply glossed over and minimized. Whoever watches that scene will just assume that time has passed, and feel little to no confusion. Can you imagine Casablanca being presented like Citizen Kane, with such startling effects as close-ups on flashing lights, fast-paced montages, and fading a screaming cockatoo between shots?