Green Book is a film that came out in 2018, directed by Peter Farrelly, starring Mahersala Ali and Viggo Mortensen. The movie is based on the true story of Dr. Don Shirley, a high-class, black classical pianist (played by Ali), and his concert tour through the deep south in 1962. Mortensen plays Tony Lip, a low-class Italian-American that is recruited by Dr. Shirley to be his driver and protector for the eight-week tour. The movie follows their experiences during the tour as well as their evolving relationship throughout the journey.
From the start of the movie, the two men do not get along because of their clashing races, classes, and attitudes towards life. Dr. Shirley has little to no respect for Tony’s rash and uneducated persona while Tony possesses an abundance of distaste for Dr. Shirley’s pretentious and annoyingly uptight views. What is most interesting at the start of the film is how reversed this story begins. It is clear to the audience that this situation is the exception to the norm because in the 1960s we would expect Tony, the white male, to be a higher classed citizen than that of Dr. Shirley, the black male. Their identities are already an interesting dynamic, and once the road trip into the deep south commences, the interaction between their identities only grows in intrigue.
As one could imagine, the two of them driving into the deep south only complicates their situation. They both encounter and have to deal with multiple racist injustices that occur. Whether it be forcing them to stay in separate and segregated hotels to upright physical abuse taken by Dr. Shirley for no reason but his skin, the men experience it all. There are so many racial injustices that Dr. Shirley has to experience, even though he holds multiple doctorates and is a polite and upstanding man. Tony recognizes how terrible and unjust these actions are, and tries to protect Dr. Shirley through it all. Even though that is Tony’s job, throughout the story he becomes more and more of an advocate for Dr. Shirley. The men grow closer as they learn more and experience more together and begin to form a strong bond of respect and mutual care. As unexpected as the pair is, their identities mesh in an unexpectedly beautiful way.
If you are looking for a movie that speaks on so many different levels about identity and race, then this is the movie for you. This heartwarming drama-comedy will leave you entertained with an incredible story as well as reflective towards the racial and identity concepts that are presented. I have enjoyed digging into this text and truly recognizing its importance when it comes to race and identity, and I know you will too.