Green Book is a film that presents the relationship between two real-life people: Donald Shirley and Tony Vallelonga. The film perfectly highlights the theme of racism and discrimination in the early 20th century by drawing the picture of a classical piano prodigy (Chow). Despite the virtuosic techniques of the main character, the prejudices and neglect of nature due to his race could be observed on a great scale (Chow). On the other hand, we could see the Vallelonga, a man born in an immigrant Italian parents’ family. From the perspective of that time, both characters are not in the best position in society, so they start to learn more about each other’s worlds.
Allegories in the film are not obvious, as, for example, in The Wizard of Oz. Nevertheless, the clear elements that provide significant importance in presenting the whole story could be seen during the entire course of the actions. Taking into account the fact that the film is based on real-life evidence, allegories are perfectly applied. For example, the images of the main characters and their relationships, in general, presents two social structures with different backgrounds but in similar financial and hierarchical positions (Farrelly). Their lifestyle, custom, and general habits could be a guide foundation to understand their motives. Another allegory that could be noticed is a classical representation of a talented hero who others have rejected (Farrelly). Being a brilliant musician, Donald is rejected by institutions due to his race. However, his talent and ambition do not allow him to let down his path and encourage him to continue his way. Here, the hero development trope that relies on overcoming all difficulties and achieving all dreams is used.
Works Cited
Chow, Andrew R. “What to Know about the Controversy behind Green Book.” Time, Time, 2021, Web.
Farrelly, Peter. “Green Book Symbols, Allegory and Motifs.” GradeSaver, Web.