In the 91st Oscar selection, "Green Book" won the Oscar for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay. Although the racial discrimination and road movies presented in the film are not uncommon, the viewing experience is still quite good. Not only will he not have any thoughts of leaving, but he is also firmly attracted by the film, looking forward to the next plot. Therefore, I can't help but wonder: what did "Green Book" do right, so that it can achieve a good viewing experience on the conventional routine?
1 character
The two protagonists of the story, Tony and Shirley, are very characteristic characters, and it is interesting that their characteristics are exactly the opposite. Shirley lived a "small and elegant" life. And Tony is the representative of "popular and vulgar".
Shirley is black, gay, classical musicians, and very wealthy. Each of these adjectives represents a small group of people, and Shirley occupies 4 of them at the same time. Tony is a white, heterosexual, and poor. His occupation is a bodyguard in a nightclub. His daily job is to deal with all kinds of people and deal with heresy disputes.
The opposing characteristics will collide with a lot of sparks, which will become the points that resonate with the audience.
I believe that everyone will feel unfamiliar when they arrive in a new environment. In the film, because of Shirley's black identity, he had to live alone in the black area, but he escaped to a nearby bar alone due to the invitation of other black people.
There are times when they state their preferences with joy, but are scolded by their family members.
Tony naturally played a game with the security guards while waiting for Shirley to play the piano. But after the happy game, it was boss Shirley's criticism.
At first I hated a person, but suddenly I was convinced by a certain advantage in him.
It saddens my heart to see my friend being looked down upon by others but unable to help him.
In fact, everyone has their own "niche" side and "popular" side. So when watching every small segment of "Green Book", it is easy to find a scene similar to my own experience.
Social psychologists have found that similarity produces attraction, and dissimilarity produces disgust. Therefore, when you see a movie scene that is similar to your own experience, you will be firmly attracted.
Therefore, the audience was also angry when they saw the police insulting Tony "half black"; when Tony knocked down the policeman who satirized black people to the ground, the audience also felt refreshed; when Tony and Shirley were locked in the police station, the audience was also They were depressed and worried because they were worried that they would not be able to feel the concert in time; and when Shirley finally rescued the two with a phone call to the NSA chief, the audience was also extremely excited.
These resonant clips are easy for the audience to immerse themselves in, recalling their own similar experiences.
In this case, with such a good story, how could the audience want to leave?
Episode 2: Hidden Lines
Most excellent film works will design conflicts one by one. The protagonist will feel full of pressure and anxiety, but gradually find a new self from the inner hesitation and external struggle, and finally complete the transformation of value.
Of course, Green Book is no exception.
In the plot design of Green Book, the main plot line is Tony and Shirley going to every concert, but behind the main line, there are two hidden conflict lines.
The first hidden conflict line is the conflict between Shirley and Tony.
Early in the film, Tony and Shirley hate each other. When leaving home, Tony's wife prepared two sandwiches for Tony and Shirley each for lunch, and after an unpleasant encounter, Tony ate Shirley's sandwich. As he prepares for the concert, Shirley asks Tony to speak more civilly, and criticizes him for squatting down and playing vulgar games.
But with the development of the film, Tony and Shirley's relationship has gradually eased. When Tony wrote to his family, he said "He plays like Liberace but better", and then he came forward to help Shirley win a Steinway piano. Shirley talks to Tony about his family and accepts a recommendation for fried chicken.
Eventually, the relationship between Tony and Shirley became close. Shirley asked Tony for his opinion after being denied entry to the restaurant at the last show "I'll be on stage if you want me to." Tony was also thrilled to see Shirley's visit when he was home for Christmas .
The second hidden conflict line is the conflict between the two protagonists and external black discrimination.
At the beginning of the story, Shirley is fighting against black discrimination alone, while Tony is just the opposite, with serious black discrimination. In order to change the public perception of black people, Shirley chose to tour south. And Tony threw the water glass that the black man had drank in the trash can. Moreover, Tony's family is also full of black discrimination. Two black workers were invited to help replace the moldy floor. As a result, Dolores' father called the whole family to accompany his daughter, for fear that the two blacks would endanger his daughter. Safety.
But as the story progresses, Shirley's solo struggle seems a little pale and powerless. Shirley went to the bar alone and was picked up and beaten by three white men with contempt and contempt. In addition, Shirley refused the suggestion to go to the hut in the courtyard to use the toilet, which Tony didn't understand.
At the climax of the story, the two face discrimination against blacks together. Shirley resisted after being denied entry to the restaurant. Tony also refused the bribe and left the restaurant with Shirley after saying "Let's get the fuck outta here", completely ignoring the swearing and anger of the restaurant manager.
In the end, the resistance won a small-scale victory. Shirley spent Christmas Eve with Tony's family, and Tony had a very happy expression on his face when he opened the door and saw it was Shirley. Moreover, Tony's wife and brother, who has a strong tendency to discriminate against blacks, also took the initiative to greet everyone to make a seat for Shirley.
3 Episodes: Behind the Hidden Lines
The most superficial layer of the story is the concert tour after Tony and Shirley completed. The layer below it is the two conflict lines mentioned above: Tony and Shirley were full of differences at first, but the two gradually resolved their internal conflicts, and finally fought against black discrimination in the outside world together. And below this layer of conflict, there is actually another layer.
Shirley has always been a withdrawn and proud person.
Live alone on the top floor of Carnegie Hall, sitting on a luxurious throne, wearing a shark tooth pendant, and an ivory statue in the house. Had a brother but never got in touch; was married but called himself "not a good husband".
But when he started touring with Tony, Shirley started to get "down to earth".
After returning home on Christmas Eve, he did not "enclose" himself, but took a bottle of wine and knocked on the door of Tony's house. When I saw Tony's letter, I took the initiative to help him revise it. On the way, facing the fried chicken recommended by Tony, even though I felt "unhygienic and not elegant", I still ate it lightly.
Shirley's change has won him a partner who can help him fight and protect himself, and he has also found his home on Christmas Eve.
Tony is very discriminating against black people, and has no self-discipline and no knowledge.
His job is someone else's thug, the equivalent of entrusting him with dangerous and lowly tasks. Participating in the game is to see who eats more sandwiches, is low and boring, and even thinks he wins more money.
But after getting in touch with Shirley, he wrote a love letter of "brilliant writing", saw the vastness and magnificence of the southern plains of the United States, understood the coordination of the trio, and changed the prejudice of black discrimination.
What was quite rewarding was that he saw the rich masters one by one, but he couldn't even pronounce his own name, he was just indulging in arty glitz, but it was not as real as himself.
Shirley let go of his high self, and the conflict between the two gradually resolved.
Tony is no longer limited to narrow prejudice, so the force against black discrimination has increased.
Behind the change of plot is the change of characters.
In other words, it was because of Tony and Shirley's self-transformation that the relationship between the two changed, and then they jointly fought against external black discrimination, and finally successfully caught up with each concert tour.
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