- Take 2 films you enjoy and break down the character development and story development throughout the film:
- Analyse how the main characters evolve
- Analyse how the characters drive the story
- If there are similarities between your films, point this out and why you think they are following a similar structure if so.
1. Green Book
In 1962 New York City, Tony, a white Italian living at the bottom of society, lost his job because of the operation of nightclubs. When he was worried about money, he received a phone call from Don Shirley, a famous black pianist in New York, needed to go to the south for a tour and hire a driver.
Nevertheless, this is not an ordinary tour. In 1962 the social was not friendly to blacks. As a black musician, Shirley needed someone who could “settle the trouble” to help him complete this journey.
Shirley’s record company gave Tony a green book, a guidebook for African American tourists to find motels, restaurants, and gas stations that can serve them in the south. In this way, they took a green book and began the journey that was destined to be full of twists and turns.
Of course, their journey was not harmonious because Tony felt uncomfortable being asked to behave more delicately, and the arrogant Shirley was dissatisfied with Tony’s habits. Both live in their own world, defending each other
With the progress of the tour, the first performance was very successful. Shirley’s exquisite piano skills not only conquered the audience but also conquered Tony, who was once despised. He did not expect that this pretentious black man had such a level.
Throughout the journey, the two people kept arguing because of all kinds of trivial things, but they were also constantly compromising. During this period, Shirley helped Tony write to his wife. Tony also encouraged Shirley to get in touch with his brother. Their relationship has also changed during this period: Even if Tony does not like blacks any more, he cannot argue about the boss-employee relationship between him and Shirley. Gradually, he began to recognize the black friend around him and began to protect Shirley. Tony was willing to accept the help of black Shirley and his ideas.
The climax of the play is Shirley’s rights protection. The police stopped Shirley and Tony on a rainy night, unreasonably asked them to get out of the car for inspection and spoke racist words. Tony, who was irritable and straightforward, knocked down the police with a punch, and the angry police detained them. Shirley rationally asked to protect his rights in the cell and asked why he was detained, but the police said: ‘it is because of your damn skin colour’.
This sentence, like a fuse, made the injustice and discrimination he had suffered all the way break out instantly. Tang strongly demanded to call his lawyer and use this opportunity to contact Attorney General Robert Kennedy, who put pressure on the governor and subsequent police officials to release them.
Soon the last performance came. As expected, the unfair treatment came again. Shirley is refused entry into the whites-only dining room of the country club where he has been hired to perform. Tony threatens the owner, and Shirley refuses to play since they refuse to serve him in the room with his audience.
Tony and Shirley left the venue and came to the orange bird bar dedicated to black people. Shirley was invited to perform an extraordinary piano performance and, as expected, won full applause. He played music that was easier to accept at the bottom. He was delighted and relaxed. Maybe it was himself at this time. As Shirley revealed his wealth when buying wine, he was stared at by two little gangsters. They hid behind the car. Tony found out, took out his pistol, and fired two shots into the sky to scare the gangsters away.
Finally, Tony and Shirley return north and try to go home before Christmas Eve. Tony invited Shirley to dinner with his family. There, Tony’s extended family greeted him with unexpected enthusiasm.
2. The Shawshank Redemption
In 1947, banker Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) was accused of shooting his wife and lover. Andy was sentenced to life imprisonment, which means he will spend the rest of his life in Shawshank prison.
For a long time in prison, Andy didn’t communicate with anyone. While everyone complained, he walked leisurely in the yard, just like in the park. A month later, Ellis Red Redding (Morgan Freeman) is an inmate and prison contraband smuggler serving a life sentence. Red procures a rock hammer and a large poster of Rita Hayworth for Andy.
One day, Andy overheard the prison officer talking about paying taxes. Andy said he had a way to legally exempt the prison officer from this large amount of tax. In exchange, he won two bottles of Tiger beer for each of a dozen prisoner friends. Red said he felt free for the first time in years.
As Andy was proficient in the knowledge of the financial system, he soon got rid of the heavy manual labour and the harassment of other abnormal prisoners in prison. Soon, Andy, well-known, began to deal with tax issues for more and more prison guards and even his children’s entrance to the school. At the same time, Andy has gradually become an important tool for the shank warden to launder money.
The arrival of a young prisoner broke Andy’s quiet prison life: the prisoner had heard Andy’s case when serving his sentence in another prison before. He knew who the real murderer was. However, when Andy asked the warden to reopen the case, he was rejected and severely punished by two months of solitary confinement. In order to prevent Andy’s release, the warden designed to kill that young prisoner.
Facing the cruel reality, Andy becomes very depressed. One day, he said to Rhett, “if one day you can get parole, you must go somewhere to fulfil a wish for me. That’s where I dated my wife for the first time. Dig out a box under a big oak tree there. Then you’ll know what it is.” That night, with wind and rain and thunder, Andy, whom his soul has redeemed, escaped from prison successfully.
It turned out that Andy had been digging a hole with that little pickaxe every day for twenty years and then covered the hole with a poster. After Andy got out of prison, he took away some of the black money saved by the warden and denounced the truth of the warden’s corruption and bribery. The warden saw a Bible left by Andy in the safe where he kept his small account book. The first page said, “the way to be saved is in it”. In addition, there was a hollowed-out part in the Bible to hide the pickaxe for digging a hole.
After 40 years in prison, Red finally got parole. Remembering his promise to Andy, he visits Buxton and finds a cache containing money and a letter asking him to come to Zihuatanejo. The two old friends finally met again on the blue Pacific coast.
similarities
Both movies flow Hearo’s Journey. The protagonists of the two stories begin with an embarrassing life and encounter some things. The protagonists overcome difficulties and finally meet a better life