Drama movie "Green Book" commentary text commentary
How serious is racism in America?
Listen to me tell you a few absurd real-life cases and you'll see
A bizarre death occurred in Dallas, Texas in September 2018
A white female police officer came home from work, probably because she was too tired
She inadvertently climbed an extra floor and went to the apartment above hers
She saw a black man inside the apartment with the door ajar.
The policewoman did not even think about it and thought it was a burglar
So she fired two shots and killed him on the spot
After the investigation, the victim was a 26-year-old black accountant
He worked for one of the world's top accounting firms, PricewaterhouseCoopers
It can be said to be the top black elite with a bright future
He was also the pillar of his family and the apple of his parents' eye.
He was eating ice cream at his home at the time of the murder.
He didn't do anything bad, but he died in an unknown way.
A year later, the policewoman was sentenced to ten years in prison.
And after serving five years, she may be paroled, where to justify this
The same incredible thing also happened this year
On February 23, 2020, a black man in Georgia
was jogging on a neighborhood street for exercise
He was shot by a white father and son as a "runaway thief"
He was shot three times and killed on the spot.
It is reported that the father was a former police officer and had some local connections.
Therefore, the father and son were not arrested for more than two months after the crime
Only in May of this year was the official charge
But due to special circumstances, the court has not yet heard the trial
These two things together is very confusing, black people in the end where to go
If they go out for a run, they will be shot as thieves.
If you don't run, it's not safe to stay at home.
Who knows when the neighbors will walk in the wrong door again?
Racism in America began with the slave trade in 1619.
From the first batch of black slaves in the North American continent
Racism against blacks began with the first slaves in the North American continent.
And it was a legitimate racial discrimination based on slavery.
Slavery continued for over 200 years after that
Until 1863, when Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.
That's when slavery was abolished on a national scale.
But the abolition of slavery did not overturn
The black stereotype in the minds of white people
They created a new system of segregation.
To put it bluntly, although the black people were not treated as slaves and commodities
but still see them as a lower race of people
For this reason they forced two systems of public resources
Schools were divided into white schools and black schools
Toilets were divided into white and black toilets
White people sat in the front of the bus and black people sat in the back
Even in the cemetery after death, blacks are not allowed to be too close to whites
If a black person goes to a place where he should not go
The light will be deported and scolded, the heavy will be in danger of life
So a black postal worker named Victor Hugo wrote a handbook
It listed in detail the places where blacks could go and go, and it was called a survival guide for blacks at that time.
It was called "The Green Book," and it was the movie that won three Oscars last year, including Best Picture.
This is the origin of the name of the movie "Green Book", which won three Oscars last year, including Best Picture.
This movie is also about a black man and a white man's story
But the interesting thing is that the white man is vulgar and poor
But the black man is noble and elegant
You can say that the traditional American black and white status is reversed
This story takes place in the United States in 1962
It was at a time when the black affirmative action movement and segregation were in fierce collision
At that time, Martin Luther King had not yet delivered his "I have a dream" speech
Tony Lip, a white man, was the man in charge of the nightclub's tricky business.
If someone was causing a scene, Tony would politely ask them to leave.
In fact, Tony is not only able to fight, but also able to talk, talk about the sky and the earth without bragging
Therefore, others have given him a nickname, called "big mouth"
Tony was a soft touch, but just the right size to handle PR issues.
As a result, his friends consider him to be a reliable person
If you have any problems, you can call him.
But in fact, the smooth Tony also has some inherent discrimination inside.
For example, this day two black maintenance workers came to his house to work
His wife was kind enough to offer them a drink of water.
But afterwards Tony looked at the cups of water that the two blacks had drunk
directly disgusted with the cup into the trash can
Although Tony knows how to deal with the world, but the sky is raining, the mother has to marry
The nightclub has to close for renovation, so Tony may have to be unemployed for two months.
This is a problem for their family, which is already not rich.
It's a real problem.
Tony wins back $50 from a hot dog eating contest
To support the family, but this is not a long-term solution
So he started looking for a job, and one day a friend introduced him to a job as a driver
And when he arrived at the interview site was stunned
The whole house is full of all kinds of precious and rare furnishings, this is not a place where people live
It's like a king's castle, right?
And more surprising to Tony is that the object of his service is actually a black man
Although this black man dressed elegantly and elegantly, sitting high up like a nobleman
But this can not hide his skin color in any way
In 1962, Tony, who was white, had to serve as a driver for a black man.
Not only was he unacceptable to himself
Most of society probably couldn't accept it.
The black man's name was Don Shelly, a pianist who was known as Dr. Shelly.
The reason why Tony was asked to come over was because he wanted to go deeper into the South for a concert tour
But the deeper he went into the South, the more serious the discrimination against blacks became
So Shelly needed someone who could help him with all kinds of trouble.
But Tony didn't want to be a nanny for a black man.
He got up to leave, and Shelly tried to hold him back, so Tony offered a high price.
He wanted to turn him down.
But to his surprise, the next day, Dr. Shelly called anyway
politely asked Tony's wife to borrow her husband's request
And said that the salary would be paid according to Tony's request
Now Tony had no reason to refuse
Besides, the family really needed the money now
Before hitting the road, Shelly's agency gave Tony a book.
The book was the title of the film, "The Green Book".
It was a detailed list of places where black people could go.
It was a survival guide for black people at the time.
His wife repeatedly told Tony to write to her on the road to let her know she was safe.
and try to get back before Christmas.
Because it was an annual family reunion, just like our Chinese New Year.
Once everything was ready, one black and one white embarked on a journey south
Dr. Shelly's skin is black.
But his manner of speech and temperament all show elegance and dignity
On the contrary, Tony, a white man, who has long been involved in society, does not know what to say
He likes to eat with his hands and take a big bite
Even if the boss is sitting in the back, he does not hide it
He swallowed the fog in the front seat and let the boss inhale his second-hand smoke
Dr. Shelly reminded Tony of two things to keep in mind afterwards
One, make sure the piano in every touring venue is a Steinway
The second is to make sure that a bottle of smooth whiskey is delivered to his room every night
The whole way Tony was talking and talking and talking and talking and talking.
Dr. Shelly was a little annoyed.
By nightfall, they arrived at their first stop, Pittsburgh.
After checking in.
Dr. Shelly's two friends, who were accompanying him, were downstairs chatting with the girls.
But the doctor sat alone on the balcony, looking at them alone, drinking alone
The next day, before the performance, Dr. Shelly asked Tony to watch his words
Because the concert was full of high-class people, but Tony was not concerned.
He refused to go along with the so-called upper class.
At night, the hall was lit up and Dr. Shelly straightened his back
As soon as the ten fingers of his hands touched the keys, he turned into a genie and began to dance.
Sure enough, there is no prejudice in music. Watch Tony's expression change.
At first a little disdain, exhaled a puff of smoke, then hand up, mouth slightly open
Showed surprise, and finally directly smug look at the next person
As if to say, "Hey, did you see that? That's my boss, isn't that great?
On the night of the trip to Ohio, Tony started writing to his wife
He wrote a very simple letter, similar to our elementary school essays.
It went like this.
（"Dear Delores, how are you? I'm fine.)
（"And I'm eating well, mostly burgers.)
（"So don't worry if I don't eat well.)
（I saw Dr. Shelly play the piano tonight)
（He didn't play the piano like a black man, like Liberace but better.)
（I thought he looked like a genius)
（When I look at him in the rearview mirror)
（He's always thinking about something)
（That's what geniuses are like, I guess)
（"But the life of a genius doesn't seem like much fun)
（"I miss you very, very much.)
Although not very literate, this letter is a true expression of his feelings.
On their second stop, they arrived in Hanover, Indiana.
Here they encountered their first problem
The piano that the host had prepared for Dr. Shelly was full of garbage.
And it wasn't a Steinway, so Tony asked the staff
So Tony asked the staff why the Steinway piano was not prepared according to the contract.
And here's what the man in charge said
A nigger, what Steinway piano, almost enough
Hearing this, Tony knew it was useless to talk properly
So he slapped Dr. Shelly's Steinway piano.
On the way to the next stop, Kentucky
Tony bought fried chicken and wanted to share it with Dr. Shelly.
But the doctor never eats fried chicken
Because in America, fried chicken has become synonymous with black people from the lower class.
In spite of this, Tony was still a big fan.
He didn't care and kept handing the doctor fried chicken and asking him to try it.
At first, the doctor refused the fried chicken very firmly
But after three or four times, Tony still insisted, and smelling the aroma right in his mouth
The doctor finally could not resist
He cupped his fingers, trying to maintain an elegant posture, gin and hold ate up
And in the following time, I guess even Shelly himself did not expect
He actually took the initiative to accept the second piece of fried chicken
The law of true fragrance is applicable to both ancient and modern times.
Shelly also followed Tony learned to "elegant" bone throwing posture
But when the doctor saw Tony throw the plastic cups out of the
He forced Tony to reverse back to pick it up
Dr. Shelly is really strict (plastic cups are not easy to degrade)
(I knew it... You must have a gun)
(Pick it up - really)
By late afternoon, they arrived in Louisville, further south.
Here the blacks could only stay in small, special hotels.
Even if you have money, you can't stay in a hotel.
The dirty environment, Tony felt that it did not match the identity of the doctor
But it couldn't be helped, it was the rule of the day.
After Tony left for the white man's quarters, Dr. Shelly sat alone in the corner
Completely unable to fit in with his fellow countrymen
This old black man invited him to play ball with him, and when Dr. Shelly refused
They were taunting him, saying that the doctor was dressed in a suit and looked like a man.
Does he think he's so honorable?
The doctor didn't want to confront them, and he didn't want to stay here any longer
So he turned around and went to the bar. Tony had just finished packing his things
When he heard that the doctor had an accident in the bar
He rushed to the bar
I saw a few white guys pulling the drunken doctor
They were all talking about discrimination.
Tony came in, he was polite, and after all, there were a lot of people across the street.
It's better not to make a big deal out of it, since it's on someone else's turf.
But the opposite side saw Tony came to ask for people, but more excited
One of them also took out a knife
And then, Tony put his hand on his waist and made a gun
These punks didn't dare to bet on whether Tony really had a gun or not
And the owner of the store also took out a gun to say that there are problems out to solve
So the gangsters had to let people go
After coming out, Tony seriously serious "warning" Dr.
From now on, without me, you can not go anywhere
The doctor asked a confused question, you really have a gun?
Tony replied, of course not
(I knew it... You must have a gun)
As the journey progressed, their location got further and further south.
There were many black slave workers along the way, who lived with their faces to the ground
They had been exploited by the farmers for generations.
When the black slaves saw the gorgeous Dr. Shelly
They must have wondered when black people could be so decent
And there was a white man serving him.
They looked at each other across the river, a short road that separated two worlds.
The car was soon repaired and before leaving
Dr. Shelly looked at his fellow countrymen with a deep feeling, perhaps he also had a lot of feelings
I don't know how to express it
They continued south and arrived in North Carolina.
Dr. Shelley played his normal game and was expected to receive a standing ovation.
However, the unexpected thing was that when Dr. Shelly wanted to take a break midway
The owner did not allow him to use the toilet in his own house
Instead, he was told to use the ramshackle black-only toilet outside the house.
The doctor did not want to settle, and felt insulted
He preferred to spend an extra half hour to go back to the hotel for convenience
And when he came back to the dinner to finish the second half of the show
Still full of smiles and just shake hands with the people who insulted him
In response, Tony said he couldn't understand it and said if they did that to me
I will definitely be in their bedroom to facilitate
At this point, a sidekick stepped forward and said
Continuing south this will happen more often
And Dr. Shelly could have stayed in the north
Easily making three times more money than here, and being respected and sought after
But he still volunteered to come here. Tony then asked, why?
The companion sold a story, did not say for the time being
The next day, Tony wrote to his wife as usual, Dr. Shelly took a look at it
He said he thought he was writing a blackmail letter.
So the doctor helped Tony improvise a love letter
He read Tony the responsibility of writing
(Dear Delores...)
（"I'm reminded of the beautiful plains of Iowa.)
（"Flat what?)
（Those prairies we see in the plains)
（Yes, it's a beautiful plain.)
（That's what they call the prairies around here)
（Tony, don't play with yourself.)
（What? Just write what I said.)
（The distance that separates us)
（# And it's making me feel like I'm losing my mind #)
（Between us)
（The time and journey without you means nothing to me)
（"Being in love with you is the easiest thing I've ever done)
（"To be in love with you)
（"It's so damn romantic)
（"The easiest thing I've ever done)
（There's nothing more important than you)
（"I feel it every day that I live)
（"I fell in love with you the day I met you and I love you today)
（"I will continue to love you for the rest of my life)
The wife was touched by Tony's letter for the first time
On the way to the show, Tony and the doctor passed by a suit store
A gray suit caught the doctor's attention.
So they were ready to go in and try it on.
The clerk handed the suit to Tony with great enthusiasm
However, when Tony handed the suit to Dr. Shelly again
The clerk suddenly changed his face, he directly grabbed the suit from the doctor's hand
He said he wouldn't let the doctor try it on.
At the end of the night, Shelly took his aggression and anger out on the piano.
With a perfect performance, he regained his self-esteem
However, shortly after the performance
The Doctor was arrested for being alone with a white gay man
Tony arrives and settles the matter with money, but Shelly doesn't appreciate it
He couldn't accept the actions of Tony's police officers
It's obvious that the cops did something wrong, and Tony doesn't care about right or wrong
As long as the result is good, he is angry with Shelly for not listening to him and going out alone
But Shelly thinks
He did whatever he could to get the rest of his paycheck.
The two of them break up, but here the doctor is bluffing
He was afraid that Tony would discriminate against him on the basis of his orientation.
But Tony was careful not to mention anything about it.
The next day, they arrived in Memphis
In front of the hotel, Tony met his mafia friends.
In Italian, his friends asked him, "How did you end up working for a black man?
Why don't you come back and work with us, you'll make several times as much money as you do now
Tony didn't refuse outright and didn't say yes, they arranged to meet at 8pm
As soon as he turned around, he saw Shelly, who seemed to be waiting for him.
It turns out that Shelly could understand Italian
On the way he had felt the importance of Tony to himself
So he put aside the unpleasantness of last night.
He took the initiative to find Tony to offer him a salary increase, hoping that he would not leave him
Facing the slightly nervous and helpless doctor
Tony smiled lightly and said he was not going anywhere and did not need a salary increase
He was going downstairs to meet his friends and refuse their offers.
Shelly was touched, and he apologized from the bottom of his heart for what happened last night
And Tony just lightly replied.
Don't take it personally, I've worked in New York clubs all my life
I know, the world is very complicated
It's not easy to say that in those days (1962)
Tony's tolerance warmed Shelly's heart
On a rainy night heading to Mississippi
A couple of racist cops pulled them over
They saw a black man in the back seat of the car.
And a white man was driving in front of them.
He made it difficult by making Dr. Shelly get out of the car
He said that Tony was driving for a black man.
Tony this temper tantrum how to put up with, a punch swung up
So they were put in jail, and after they went in Tony's magic no longer works
And Dr. Shelly kept asking to call his lawyer.
The cops scoffed at this, saying you're a black man with a lawyer.
Well, let you call, I see who you can call
The next scene is very interesting.
The local governor then called the police department
Tell them to release him immediately! And he was very firm!
Did the doctor just call the governor?
Then you underestimate the doctor. The lawyer he was talking about was the Attorney General at the time.
Bobby Kennedy, the brother of President Kennedy.
On the way back, Tony was smug and laughing
But the doctor was very upset, because he felt that this is a very humiliating thing
Because of this incident, the two argued again
It even got to the race issue
Tony felt that Shelly had been pampered, living high up in the castle
He didn't look like a black man. He also said that in comparison, I am more like a black than you
Hearing this, Shelly's long-suppressed emotions finally burst out
He forced himself out of the car and spoke his mind in the pouring rain
(Yes, I live in a castle where Tony's all alone)
(Rich white people pay me to play the piano)
（Cause it makes them feel cultured)
（But when I got off the stage)
（I'm instantly just a nigger to them)
（Because that's their real culture)
（"I endure contempt alone because I'm not accepted by my own people)
(Because I'm not like them either)
I'm not even man enough, tell me Tony who I am)
Not black enough, not white enough, not even man enough, the Doctor was caught in the middle
Neither side accepted him, and for a long time
Even the Doctor himself had forgotten who he really was
Tony looked at the back of the doctor in the rain, some heartache, want to comfort
But he didn't know where to begin.
The show had to go on and they arrived at their last stop in Birmingham, Alabama.
The hosts welcomed the Doctor with great enthusiasm
But in the end, they put him in a rundown utility room to change clothes and rest
At this point, at the dining table outside
The companion also spoke up and answered the reason why the doctor insisted on coming south
It turned out that the doctor was not looking for money or fame.
He wanted to change the public perception of black people.
But this was a difficult task, very difficult. Especially in the context of the times
It took a lot of courage to make such a decision
The words just fell. Dr. Shelly's side was given a hard time again
As the protagonist of the show, the host honored guest
But he was not allowed to dine in the restaurant
The manager explained that this was the rule for black people here.
Considering that this was the last show, Tony tried to persuade the doctor to let it go and put up with it.
But the Doctor's stubborn pride seemed to explode at this moment
Either I eat here or I don't go on stage
Such a threat made the manager anxious, and he called Tony aside
took out a hundred dollars and told Tony to persuade the black man
Tony felt insulted and pushed the manager directly against the wall
Just when he was about to strike, the doctor called him back
Shelly said that if Tony wanted him to play, he would do it
Tony is stumped for a moment
(Let's get the hell out of here)
（What do you mean by that?)
（Where else do you think you're going?)
（Don, come on. You signed a contract.)
（I know you're a man of your word)
（You got a show to do, mister, get back here)
（Now damn it right now)
（That's why people like you can't be here)
（Because you can't be trusted)
Tony takes the Doctor away in style, giving up a few bucks to save the Doctor's dignity
After that they went to a nearby black bar
The people inside are looking at them with a strange look
But luckily there was no confrontation, and after a good meal
The lady invited the Doctor to play a song, and with Tony's help the Doctor got on stage
He played his best classical piece
People's attention was instantly drawn to him and they started to applaud him
After that, the accompanist came on stage spontaneously
This time the doctor played a black pop music that he did not appreciate before
The people on stage started to dance to the music and when the music got exciting
The Doctor even stood up and played a beautiful tune without Steinway.
After walking out of the bar, Tony told Shelly not to approach the car and fired a shot into the sky
It turned out that Shelly had shown his wealth in the bar
Two punks hid behind the car and tried to rob Shelly
And the doctor saw the situation is trembling and said
I knew it, you must have a gun ...
Finally on the way home, they were stopped by the police again
But this time the police only kindly helped them to change the flat tire
They didn't give them a hard time
At the end, they finally went home and Tony invited the Doctor to his house for Christmas
But the doctor declined, he returned to the empty "castle" alone
Looking at these precious and rare furnishings in front of him
But he felt a touch of loneliness in his home
On the other side of Tony's house, the family reunion, a cozy
The relatives asked about the trip and mentioned in passing how the "nigger" was doing
And Tony's answer surprised the family by saying, "Don't call him that!
At that moment, there was a knock at the door
A familiar figure stood in front of Tony, and Tony saw the Doctor
Overwhelmed with excitement, he went forward and embraced the other side
Tony introduced the doctor to the family, and after a moment of shock
The family recovered from their surprise and welcomed Shelly with enthusiasm
(Hello, you must be Delores)
(Welcome Merry Christmas)
（"Thank you for sharing your husband with me.)
（"Thank you for writing to me for him.)
And that's the end of the film
This is a film that was released in 2018. Based on true events
Later Shelly continued touring and Tony returned to work at the club and was promoted to manager
Until 2013, when the two died around a few months apart
The Dr. Shelly in the film is a gentleman. It was his own talent, knowledge and taste that brought him to this gentleman status
He speaks elegantly, does not litter, refuses to urinate anywhere
He refuses to play games with black people that he is not interested in
Even though these are the things that white people think "black people should do."
Just because he's black doesn't mean he has to be like any black man.
He was a pianist, a gentleman, and he had the dignity and character of a gentleman
He wanted to show the white class that black people were not just inferior.
They can also be musicians, gentlemen
You can disrespect me, you can humiliate me, the times can't allow me to resist
But I will show you with self-respect and self-respect that "I am not inferior."
I will face your discrimination with integrity, and your inequality with unassumingness
A true warrior is brave enough to face life's misery.
I think Don Cherry is probably like that
Discrimination comes from prejudice, and prejudice comes from ignorance
Discrimination is everywhere around us. If you don't get married, you'll be discriminated against.
If you don't have children, you'll be discriminated against. You'll be discriminated against for your looks, color, culture, education, wealth, gender, age.
Even if you play a game, there will be discrimination
Discrimination has been around for a long time, and it's hard to eliminate.
We may not be able to change the status quo, but how we view discrimination
is a change we can all make, together with you
Well, that's it for today's story
I am XXX
A narrator dedicated to bringing movies to life
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