Director
Peter Farrelly
Leading Actors/Actresses
Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali
Supporting Actors/Actresses
Linda Cardellini, Sebastian Maniscalco, Iqbal Theba
Genre
Drama, Comedy, Friendship, History
Language
English
Awards
Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor
Date of Release
September 11, 2018
Producer
Jim Burke, Brian Hayes Currie, Peter Farrelly, Nick Vallelonga, Charles B. Wessler
Setting and Context
New York City, the Midwest, the Deep South
Narrator and Point of View
No narrator
Tone and Mood
Comic, Dramatic, Moving, Sentimental, Heartwarming, Feel-good
Protagonist and Antagonist
Protagonists: Tony and Don, Antagonist: The racism of the South
Major Conflict
There are three conflicts. The first is that Tony is out of his job and needs to make money for his family in whatever way he can. The second conflict is the conflict of the job he ends up taking, which is getting Don Shirley, a prominent black pianist, through a concert tour in the racist South without a glitch. The biggest conflict running through the film overall, however, is that between Don's desire to perform in the South and the prejudice and concrete obstacles that stand in the way. This is also an internal conflict within Don's personality, as he must struggle to deal with the isolation and pain his struggle produces.
Climax
The climax occurs when Tony and Don walk out of the gig in Birmingham, Alabama, eschewing the concert when the general manager treats Don as inferior.
Foreshadowing
The existence of the Green Book itself foreshadows the racism that the men will encounter in the South.
Understatement
Tony is a master of understatement, often having a glib or offhand remark for even the ugliest of situations.
Innovations in Filming or Lighting or Camera Techniques
Allusions
Allusions to Don Shirley's actual work, to the myth of Orpheus, and to popular music of the 1950s and 60s.
Paradox
The racism of the South is often of a paradoxical nature. The venues that have booked Don to play the piano are the same venues that will not treat him as equal to the white patrons coming to hear him play.
Parallelism
Tony and Don both help the other in different ways during the course of their trip.
