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Student’s worksheet · 1re · B1 → B2Tle · B2

Green Book (2018)

Peter Farrelly · official trailer · Who has the right to tell someone else’s story?

QR code to this worksheet (1re)QR code to this worksheet (Tle)
The Negro Motorist Green Book, 1940 edition
The Negro Motorist Green Book, 1940 edition · Photo: Victor Hugo Green · Public domain

Name:

Date:

Film title:

Director:

Talk and write about the characters and the film, never about your own private life.

1 General identification

1.1 Year of release:

Start with…

  • « The film was released in…, and it is set in… »

Start with…

  • « Released in…, the film looks back at… »

1.2 Country of origin:

☐ USA   ☐ United Kingdom   ☐ Other: ________

Start with…

  • « It is a … film, made by a … director. »

Start with…

  • « This … production, directed by…, … »

1.3 Genre (tick one or two):

☐ Drama   ☐ Comedy   ☐ Sci-Fi   ☐ Historical   ☐ Thriller   ☐ Social Realism   ☐ Other: ________

Start with…

  • « It belongs to … : it shows… »

Start with…

  • « It mixes … and …, which allows the director to… »
Segregated bus station, Durham, North Carolina, 1940 (Jack Delano)
Segregated bus station, Durham, North Carolina, 1940 (Jack Delano) · Photo: Jack Delano · Public domain
Mahershala Ali, Oscar for Best Supporting Actor
Mahershala Ali, Oscar for Best Supporting Actor · Photo: Gordon Correll · CC BY-SA 2.0

2 Plot & setting

2.1 Where and when does the story take place? Describe the place and the time.

Start with…

  • « The story is set in…, at a time when… »
  • « The setting looks… because… »

Start with…

  • « Set in…, the film shows a place where… »
  • « The setting reflects… »

2.2 Sum up the main conflict in 3 sentences.

• Introduction

Start with…

  • « The film opens on Don Shirley, who… »

Start with…

  • « The opening introduces Don Shirley, a character who… »

• Climax (turning point)

Start with…

  • « The turning point is when…, so… »

Start with…

  • « The turning point comes when…, which forces Don Shirley to… »

• Resolution

Start with…

  • « Finally, Don Shirley realises that…, so… »

Start with…

  • « The ending suggests that… »
The Negro Motorist Green-Book, 1940 edition
The Negro Motorist Green-Book, 1940 edition Image: Victor H. Green, publisher · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Historic Route 66 near Amboy, California
Historic Route 66 near Amboy, California Photo: Dietmar Rabich · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

3 Character analysis

3.1 The protagonist (main hero): name, motivations and main flaws.

Start with…

  • « Don Shirley is motivated by… »
  • « However, the main weakness is…, which is why… »

Start with…

  • « The driving force behind Don Shirley is… »
  • « This flaw makes the character…, yet… »

3.2 The antagonist (the opposing force): who or what stops the protagonist?

Start with…

  • « the Jim Crow South stands in the way because… »
  • « But the real obstacle may also be… »

Start with…

  • « Beyond the Jim Crow South, the film points to… »
  • « The real antagonist could be…, since… »

3.3 Cultural identity: how does the film show American values and divisions (the road trip, the Deep South, class and race, the Italian-American family)?

Start with…

  • « The road trip is a very American… »
  • « In the South, Shirley is applauded on stage but… »

Start with…

  • « The film contrasts the North and the South: … »
  • « Tony and Shirley embody two Americas: … »
A 1962 Cadillac Sedan DeVille, the year of the story
A 1962 Cadillac Sedan DeVille, the year of the story Photo: Charles01 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Segregated bus station, Durham, North Carolina, 1940 (Jack Delano)
Segregated bus station, Durham, North Carolina, 1940 (Jack Delano) · Photo: Jack Delano · Public domain

4 Cinematic techniques

Use the official trailer: choose one moment from the list below.

  • ≈0:02 · a 1960s street
  • ≈0:14 · Shirley on a throne-like chair
  • ≈0:34 · Shirley in the back seat
  • ≈2:14 · the spotlit piano
  • ≈2:26 · the car on an empty road

4.1 Camera angles & shots: describe one memorable moment. Is it a close-up (focus on emotion) or a wide shot (focus on the place)?

Start with…

  • « The director uses a … shot to… »
  • « This angle makes … look… »

Start with…

  • « The … at … invites the audience to… »
  • « By framing … this way, the director suggests that… »

4.2 Soundtrack & lighting: how do the music or the colours make you feel in that moment?

Start with…

  • « The music creates a … atmosphere. »
  • « The lighting makes … look… »

Start with…

  • « The contrast between … and … suggests… »
  • « The colour palette reflects… »
Mahershala Ali, Oscar for Best Supporting Actor
Mahershala Ali, Oscar for Best Supporting Actor · Photo: Gordon Correll · CC BY-SA 2.0
The Negro Motorist Green-Book, 1940 edition
The Negro Motorist Green-Book, 1940 edition Image: Victor H. Green, publisher · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

5 Critical thinking & personal opinion

5.1 Thematic core: what message is the director trying to send to the audience?

Start with…

  • « Peter Farrelly shows that… »
  • « The film warns us that… »

Start with…

  • « The film suggests that…, because… »
  • « Ultimately, it questions… »

5.2 The question of the film: « Who has the right to tell someone else’s story? » Answer it now, after the study.

Start with…

  • « In my opinion,… For example, in the trailer… »
  • « The film made me think again about… »

Start with…

  • « I would argue that…, as shown by… »
  • « However, one could object that… »

5.3 Your review · Star rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Write a review (120 to 150 words) with two arguments and an example.

Write a review (180 to 200 words): two arguments, a concession and a conclusion.

Start with…

  • « I would (not) recommend this film because… »
  • « The best moment of the trailer is… because… »
  • « On the other hand,… »

Start with…

  • « Green Book is a … film which… »
  • « What makes it relevant today is… »
  • « Even though…, I would recommend it to… »