Green Book
Something about Peter Farrelly's movie made me squirm, and I think you know why. It wasn't the truly great performances of both Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen, both so easy on the eyes that -- well -- they could charm the skin off a snake, as they say, but when the snake is racism and a white man is interpreting it and there's all kinds of gloss and over-arching stereotype, I am not charmed. I am squirming in my seat, like I did while reading The Help and while watching it, too, and should I go on because I think you already get my drift and that drift is that we've got a whole lot more work to do and art to make if this piece of fluff makes anyone of any color not squirm in their seat.
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I haven't seen it but I was talking to my son's girlfriend, who has, and she said that she was quite aware of the problems in it but thought that it might actually be something that some of her more racist relatives might watch and be made to think a bit. That if nothing else, it was a conversation starter about something that really needs to be discussed.
ReplyDeleteSo. There is that perspective as well.
So much of so much is fraught with the squirming sensation because of the white imposed racial divide. I haven't talked to any person of color to get their perspective on the film, and that right there is a problem. But I suppose its similar to the squirm I feel when a film about women made by men misses the point. I did enjoy the movie (yes, great performances) and wonder if a single film could possibly do what we need it to do? An entire industry needs to evolve much more than it has.
ReplyDeleteThanks for starting this conversation on your blog. I immediately did some research on the interwebs and came up with this compelling article: https://blackamericaweb.com/2018/11/28/green-book-movie-is-full-of-lies-says-don-shirleys-family/
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a child, and even still, I was friends with members of the Beardsley-North family, depicted in the Lucille Ball movie "Yours, Mine and Ours." The movie was complete fiction, other than the fact that it was about 2 people with lots of kids between them getting married and combining their families. The family was really upset about it, as they thought it would be a much more accurate depiction of their lives. Just a vehicle for the stars and the money making machine that is Hollywood. Green Book suffers from the same problem, apparently, and remaining members of the Shirley family are quite upset about it. It's a shame.
I totally get this. Mary’s comment is interesting too. I haven’t seen the movie and suspect I won’t.
ReplyDeletePlease go see Roma on the big screen. It's everything they say it is, a gorgeous film about the strength and resilience of women.
ReplyDeleteXX Beth