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Film Review: Green Book

Directed by Peter Farrelly, The 2018 movie ‘Green Book’ is rated as one of the best films of the year. The film went on to win multiple awards including three Oscars, a Golden Globe and several others. With the main character played by renowned award-winning actor Mahershala Ali, Green Book is one of the most insightful movies when it comes to the delicate issue of race and racism. Aptly set in the year 1962, the movie follows a musical trio through the Midwest and the Deep South. At that time, those regions were still steeped in racism, and Mahershala Ali, the black man in the musical trio, chose the route based on that sentiment. The cast of ‘Green Book’ does a superb job in embodying their characters, presenting a captivating, realistic, thoughtful and extremely accurate film.

The story begins with Don Shirley played by Ali looking to hire a Frank Vallelonga, a bouncer, as a driver for their tour. Frank (Viggo Mortensen) had recently lost his job but was reluctant to take up the new position, given that his new boss would be a black man. Frank once dumped glasses used by black men in his house, giving the appearance that he is uncomfortable with people of colour. He, however, takes up the job and the tour kicks off. Don Shirley is a master jazz pianist, and all across the country, people respect and celebrate his talent. Despite this, he remains a black man in the South. He is denied the right to use the same bathroom as the white guests or eat with them. In another instance, his car is pulled over by the police, who then asks Frank why he drives a black man. These blatant examples of racism are quite shocking, and leave a bad taste in the mouth of viewers. Don Shirley is also a lonely man, divorced from his wife and a closeted gay man. He is a fighter against racism and for equality of all men. Beneath his steely exterior, Don Shirley is still just a man bitter with racism, longing for his family and struggling to come to terms with his sexuality. Frank, on the other hand, is a simple man; with his love for his wife and children the centre of his universe.

‘Green Book’ tackles the topics of racism, sexuality, Don Shirley’s estrangement from his family and his search for self-identity in an excellent manner. Production is also outstanding, with the lighting, cinematography, music and others working to give the audience the best experience. One finds little fault with the film, and I would recommend it to anyone. The strong points of the film include the cast that depicts their characters quite correctly, as well as the quality of production of the film. Watching the film, one feels that they stepped into the 1960s with accurate depictions of the cars, wardrobe, language among things characteristic of that period.

In conclusion, I would rate ‘Green Book’ as one of the best films of all time. The main reason why I recommend this film is that it brings to light delicate and sensitive issues of racism and sexuality. While we might have come a long way from then, there are still several elements reminiscent of the present. It is also quite interesting to see how different life was at the time, before all the technology. For example, Frank used letters to communicate with his wife, while today, a cell phone would do that in a second. ‘Green Book’ is a story of love, self-discovery, music, talent, race and many others all in one, and it creates sensitivity and awareness on many issues that people face in their everyday lives.

Works Cited

Green Book [Video File] YouTube. 21 November 2018. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkZxoko_HC0