RETORIKA: Jurnal Ilmu Bahasa
Vol. 11 No. 1 (2025)

Multimodal Discourse Analysis of Cinematography in “Green Book”

Yesika Natalina Sidabutar (Program Studi Linguistik Terapan Bahasa Inggris, Pascasarjana Universitas Negeri Medan)
Immanuel Prasetya Gintings (Program Studi Linguistik Terapan Bahasa Inggris, Pascasarjana Universitas Negeri Medan)
Berlin Sibaran (Program Studi Linguistik Terapan Bahasa Inggris, Pascasarjana Universitas Negeri Medan)



Article Info

Publish Date
10 Apr 2025

Abstract

"Green Book," directed by Peter Farrelly, depicts the evolving relationship between Dr. Don Shirley, an African-American pianist, and Tony "Lip" Vallelonga, an Italian-American bouncer, during a 1960s concert tour in the American South. This study employs Multimodal Discourse Analysis (MDA) and Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) to examine how the film conveys complex social messages about race, identity, and friendship. Utilizing theories by Halliday & Matthiessen (2013, Kress & van Leeuwen (2020), and (O’Halloran, 2011), the research focuses on 23 key scenes set in a Cadillac. The study addresses three main questions: What messages are conveyed in "Green Book"? How are these meanings realized? Why are these meanings realized in their specific social context? Findings reveal significant messages about the struggles and resilience of African Americans, realized through linguistic and visual elements. The confined space of the Cadillac symbolizes broader societal issues, emphasizing personal and cultural conflicts. This research contributes to understanding multimodal discourse analysis in film studies and provides insights for filmmakers, educators, and media analysts. "Green Book" demonstrates the power of film as a medium for social commentary and cultural reflection

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Journal Info

Abbrev

jret

Publisher

Subject

Education Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media

Description

RETORIKA: Jurnal Ilmu Bahasa, 2406-9019 (Print ISSN), 2443-0668 (Electronic ISSN) is the Journal of Linguistics who published research articles and of theoretical articles in linguistic science which published by Linguistic Department, Postgraduated Program, Universitas Warmadewa. The journal is ...