"Green Book": Conflict and Reconciliation Spoilers

1. Historical Background

The 1960s were a turbulent time in American history, marked by the civil rights movement led by figures like Martin Luther King Jr. This was especially true in the South, where events such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the Little Rock Nine, the Freedom Riders, and other instances of African Americans fighting for racial equality had taken place. The Ku Klux Klan was active in the South, and white hostility towards Black people was escalating.

The entire South was filled with tension and unrest. Before 1965, racial segregation was legally enforced in the United States through a series of laws known as Jim Crow Laws. These laws, which were in effect from 1876 to 1965, mandated racial segregation in the Southern states and some border states. These laws primarily targeted African Americans but also impacted other ethnic groups.

If you were Black and you appeared in the South in the 1960s, your life was bound to be filled with discrimination. For example, in transportation, there were separate ticketing and waiting areas for White and non-White passengers; in education, schools for White children and schools for Black children were separate; restaurants provided segregated services and did not serve different racial groups in the same room; renting accommodations in an all-White or all-Black building to someone of the opposite race could result in fines or jail time, and more.

Some towns even outright prohibited Black people from entering after sunset, and these towns were known as "Sundown Towns," a term mentioned in the movie and video about this period. In 1962, on the eve of the peak of the civil rights movement, Black musician Don Shirley embarked on a concert tour in the South, and the story of "Green Book" takes place during this journey. The title "Green Book" is a direct witness to this period of history.

The full name of the Green Book is "The Negro Motorist Green Book," which means a safe travel guide for Black travelers. Its motto was "Now we can travel without embarrassment." In 1936, Victor Hugo Green, a postal worker from the Harlem African American community in New York, and his wife published the first edition of the Green Book.

In the book, they compiled a list of restaurants, hotels, motels, and vacation destinations willing to accommodate Black travelers. After the first edition in 1936, this slim green booklet quickly gained popularity. Nowadays, very few people have heard of the existence of the "Green Book," but for several decades, it was considered the bible for every Black traveler. The book continued to be published until the mid-1960s. With the progress of the civil rights movement, it finally completed its mission and exited the historical stage as racial segregation policies gradually ended.

2. About the Movie "Green Book"

"Green Book" easily brings to mind several other films: "Driving Miss Daisy," "The Intouchables," "The Bucket List" (all of which feature a black-white dual lead on a road trip), and even "Rain Man" (another film with a dual lead on a road trip, with an objective advantage-disadvantage dynamic, where "Green Book" deals with race while "Rain Man" deals with intellectual disability). So, the film's successful themes - racism, class consciousness, road trip, black-white dual leads, and heartwarming healing - are not unusual (at least in terms of the subject matter).

The script follows a straightforward linear progression of character timelines, and the cinematography, editing, and sound effects do not employ many tricks. However, relying on the film's strong core message and high quality, it can still be considered an excellent film alongside the abovementioned classics. What makes "Green Book" "good" is that it delivers a high-quality story (the core of a good story is often more important than the plot). The successes of "Driving Miss Daisy," "The Intouchables," "The Bucket List," and "Rain Man" largely follow this pattern. Character development (opposition), conflicts, resolutions, new setups, climax, and final reconciliation. The plot advances step by step, and character relationships progress gradually. Add a dash of humor and touching quotes that appear from time to time.

Although the story unfolds linearly, the audience always finds it exciting. This straightforward narrative reduces the audience's threshold for engagement, enhances the enjoyment of the story, and makes it easier for the audience to understand the film. Understanding the story is essential for comprehending the film's core messages: race, class, friendship, and the real meaning of overcoming discrimination and barriers. This simple storytelling also makes it more appealing to a broader audience.

3. About Don Shirley

The most significant attraction of "Green Book" is undoubtedly the excellent portrayal of its two main characters.

Although the film employs a dual lead setup, where both characters shine, the performances of Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali are flawless. They received awards throughout the award season, confirming their brilliance. However, when looking at the complexity of character and character motivations, Don Shirley is undoubtedly more complex and profound.

In terms of character traits, Tony Lip is undoubtedly a strong character. He is rough, loud, unrefined, and sometimes rude and violent, yet he also has principles and a sense of honor. He is a well-rounded character with distinctive features, but he may be overly vivid, lacking the depth of complexity.

Tony's actions and motivations are straightforward and logical, responding to the situations he faces naturally, making the character vibrant and well-constructed. Perhaps some might argue that he should have integrated into his own community, but the idea that he should blend in with the "Black community" just because he is Black might be another form of discrimination.

What makes "Green Book" fascinating are the conflicts between the two characters, and the brilliance of Don Shirley lies in his internal conflicts. His Black identity is one facet (the more apparent one), his career as a pianist is another (the conflicting one), his sexuality is a third (the more obscure one), and his inherent self-esteem is the fourth aspect (his depth). He is like a canary imprisoned at the top of a pyramid, a gifted musician, an invisible cage constraining him: "Not Black enough, not White enough, not even man enough." This limits his freedom. Yet, his self-esteem does not allow him to be trampled upon because "dignity allows you to gain the upper hand."

He is not "White" enough, so he is not accepted by the White class: "White people pay me to play for them because it makes them feel cultured, but as soon as I'm off the stage, in their eyes, I'm just a Black man, because that's their real culture." This was the reality for Black artists during that period, and here's another example to illustrate it: In 1940, at the Oscars ceremony, Hattie McDaniel, a Black actress from the cast of "Gone with the Wind," won the Best Supporting Actress award for her role as a maid, becoming the first African American to win an Oscar. However, due to segregation policies, she was not allowed to sit with stars like Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable at the Oscars ceremony. She had to sit alone in a small corner. Even at the film's premiere, she couldn't even appear on the stage.

Even today, racial disparities persist in American society. The road to racial equality is still long. Shirley is not "Black" enough, and his knowledge, culture, job, and status set him apart from the average Black person. In a poignant scene in the film, when their car breaks down in the middle of the road, Don Shirley sees Black farmers working in a field by the roadside, and they stop to watch him – a White man serving a well-dressed Black man. He suddenly feels uncomfortable and even embarrassed. He didn't do anything wrong, and everything he had achieved was normal and without guilt. He should be proud of breaking down racial barriers. However, he can't be proud in front of his own people. He has only one kind of pride, and he often maintains this "pride" in front of White people – he wants to show them that "I am equal, I deserve respect." It's a form of defensive self-esteem. Naturally, it's not suitable in front of his own people.

As for showing off, he knows that even though the White class allows him to perform classical music because it's considered their own culture, he can only play popular music. However, that doesn't mean he has to be the kind of Black musician who smokes with a cigarette in his mouth and places a glass of whiskey on the piano, as White people would expect. He wants to change their perceptions.

He is a gentleman who elevates himself through his talents, knowledge, education, and taste. He doesn't like to eat fried chicken with his hands, he doesn't appreciate rudeness in speech and behavior, he doesn't litter, he refuses to urinate anywhere, and he refuses to engage in games that don't interest him – these are the things that Tony expects "Black people should do." He is Black, but that doesn't mean he has to be like any other Black person. He is a pianist, a gentleman, and he has the dignity and character of a gentleman. He wants to show the White class that Black people are not just inferior; he can also be a musician and a gentleman. You may not respect or insult me, and the times may not allow me to resist, but I will assert "I am not inferior" with my self-esteem. I will face your discrimination with dignity, and I will treat your inequality with integrity.

"Changing people's minds is not enough with talent alone; you need courage."

"Violence can never win; maintaining dignity will make you victorious; self-esteem will give you an advantage."

A true hero faces the bitterness of life head-on. Don Shirley is such a hero. The character of Don Shirley, lonely and complex, is highlighted by his sense of dignity.

Regarding the character of Don Shirley, I would like to talk about an interesting fact about the movie outside the screen. This film is based on a true story, and one of the film's co-writers is the son of Tony Lip, one of the main characters. After the film was released, it drew criticism from Don Shirley's family, who believed that the film portrayed Don Shirley inaccurately, depicting him as not eating fried chicken, having a distant relationship with his only brother (he actually had three brothers and maintained normal contact with them), and as a homosexual (Tony's son said, "Shirley never publicly stated that he was homosexual, and the portrayal of this aspect in the film is the only story I've ever heard about Shirley's sexual orientation."). The film was simply a "symphony of lies." However, Tony's son stated that the entire script was developed in consultation with the two real-life characters and was approved by Don Shirley to be filmed after his death.

This issue will never be resolved as both real-life characters have passed away. However, when watching the film, Tony Lip's character is depicted in a more positive light – he has a harmonious family, is responsible, and is honorable. His personality and habits, although rough, do not have a significant negative impact on his character. On the other hand, Don Shirley indeed carries some negative character traits: excessive rigidity, formalism, isolation, loneliness, weak family ties, and homosexuality. Both are related, and there may be an element of the author's bias, whether or not there was fictionalization. Regardless of the reality, the need for character creation (to create greater contrast and contrast between the two characters) can be understood. The "negative" character traits attributed to Don Shirley make the character more complex and exceptional, and they also contribute to Mahershala Ali's award-winning performance.

4. About Reconciliation

After the film was released in the United States, it stirred huge controversy. Apart from the disputes over the veracity of the story, many critics argued that the film, despite being a film about "racial discrimination," lacked the necessary critical depth and, in fact, promoted the idea of "white saviors." They felt that the reconciliation portrayed in the movie was seen solely from a white perspective.

Following the film's Oscar win for Best Picture, African American director Spike Lee expressed anger and fervently pointed out that "Green Book," much like "Driving Miss Daisy" winning the Oscar 29 years ago, was another example of a "phony racial harmony" story told from a white perspective. Nearly 30 years had passed, and Hollywood had not changed. While I commend the film for its high-quality, engaging characters, I also believe it lacks sincere reflection on the issue of "racial and class status."

This may not be the film's primary focus, and the transformation of the relationship between the two main characters, the themes of friendship, healing, and warmth, is what the film seeks to convey. However, "racial and class status" is one of the most prominent tags associated with the film, and it is a fact that cannot be ignored. If it were unimportant, would it merely serve as a catchy slogan? Undoubtedly, this would be a shallow and careless approach to the issue. Looking at the film's overall context, I cannot help but have certain thoughts:

It's like taking a trip to the American History Museum, witnessing some basic information about the era of racial segregation in the 1960s (no worries, as segregation policies have ended). Then, being reminded that discrimination is wrong (a common slogan). Black and white people need to be friends like the two main characters, who overcome their differences (with the initiative given to the white character). The black character, with various issues, including being lonely and a homosexual, despite being a talented pianist, appears so pitiable. Remember, we should have sympathy for black people, as their self-esteem is easily hurt.

Of course, you may argue that this may be different from the film's main focus, and the transformation of the relationship between the two characters, themes of friendship, healing, and warmth, is what the film seeks to convey. However, "racial and class status" is one of the most prominent tags associated with the film, and it is a fact that cannot be ignored. If it were unimportant, would it merely serve as a catchy slogan? Undoubtedly, this would be a shallow and careless approach to the issue.

Viewing the film, you may get the sense of being led through a basic history lesson on racial segregation in the 1960s. It warns you to remember that discrimination is wrong (a slogan that's been around for a while). Black and white people should become friends just like the two main characters did. The black character has many issues and seems quite pitiable, being lonely and homosexual despite being a talented pianist. We should remember to have sympathy for black people because their self-esteem can be easily wounded.

However, this may not be the film's main focus, and the transformation of the relationship between the two characters, along with themes of friendship, healing, and warmth, is what the film aims to convey. But "racial and class status" is one of the most prominent tags associated with the film, and it is an undeniable fact. If it were unimportant, would it simply be a gimmick? This is undoubtedly a superficial approach to the issue.

You can't view it as a documentary, as the director aims to express something more. It's essential to remember that the issue of racial equality is not just a historical problem; it's still a hotly debated issue in today's America. Even if you only want to celebrate friendship simply, you must remember that the two families were sworn enemies, with one side oppressing the other for generations, even up to this day. So, you go and make amends, apologize, then embrace them, and welcome them into your home, and that's it?

Have you ever considered what kind of position the entire "reconciliation" process puts the other side in? Perhaps they have considered it but can only think this way—from a white perspective, this reconciliation might already be their best effort. The model for black and white friendship is "The Bucket List" and "The Intouchables" (both of which do not involve racial issues). As for reflecting on racial issues, both "Green Book" and "Driving Miss Daisy" still seem to lack the necessary sincerity.