The Green Mile
In 1935, Paul Edgecombe runs ‘The Green Mile’ the death row where inmates spend their last months before execution. A new inmate, John Coffey, a gigantic man, who has been convicted of doing one of the most horrible things has been sent to him.
As the months go by, Paul and his team discover that John has a powerful gift of healing, and may not actually be responsible for the crime he has been sentenced for.
Direction
Sensational direction from Frank Darabont, who once again takes the helm of one of Stephen King adaptations of his novels.
Visually this is far from the gritty, almost sepia toned Shawshank, with an almost crisp, clean ‘green mile’ where the inmates live.
Darabont gives an arguably better performance behind the camera, with brilliant use of lighting, which almost has a ‘play’ like feel to it at times – and beautiful camera work including some gods view.
Cast/Characters
tom hanks plays Paul, who is the calm and empathetic commanding officer of the cell block. He as usual commands the screen with his ability to show the audience both the horrors of the job he has – as well as the maturity needed for the task. Hanks does a splendid job, as does Dabs Greer who plays Paul in 1999.
Paul’s fellow guards are played by screen legends David Morse, Barry Pepper, and Darabont regular Jeffrey DeMunn. They each bring their own level of calm, or in Morse’s case intimidation to the role.
The late great Michael Clark Duncan plays John Coffey, the gentle giant who comes to the mile. He brings his magical ability to heal, which assists many of those around him, and the guards grow to respect and love him for this.
Graham Greene, and the late Michael Jeter play fellow inmates who spend some time on the block and both are executed throughout the film. The latter, whose is brutal in the way it occurs due to the purposeful incompetence by Percy, one of the guards.
Sam Rockwell, and Doug Hutchinson and the horror element in how people can behave. Rockwell plays ‘Wild Bill’ who comes to the mile midway through the film – and Hutchinson plays Percy – one of the vilest characters to be seen on screen (aptly played by Hutchinson… IYKYK).
Other cast are screen legends James Cromwell, Patricia Clarkson and Bonnie Hunt
Screenplay/Setting/Themes
At a whopping 3hrs in length, both the subject matter, and plot developments really needed it to be this length. The original source material of the novel by King is over 400 pages in softback form, and told in first person perspective from Edgecomb.
The bookends of the film also show Paul as an older man (and exactly how old is revealed in the final few moments of the film). These are done efficiently – and Dabs Greer brings his own aspect of Paul to life.
It wouldn’t be a Stephen King film if it didn’t have a supernatural element to it – and while it is never explained who or where John Coffey comes from. His healing abilities (taking away Paul’s infection, saving Mr Jingles, and taking Clarkson’s Melinda’s brain tumor) is never explained, nor does it really need to. We expect it because it is a King film.
While there is lots of heart in the film, from the majority of the guards who are soft and kind, to the arrival of Mr Jingles – the mouse that befriends Jeter’s Edward Delacroix, there is also the evil of humanity in Percy and Wild Bill.
Percy’s blatant ignoring the steps in one execution leads one of the inmates to have a horrific death – and one of the most brutal displays seen on screen. Others such as Green’s Bitterbuck and Duncan’s Coffey are much more emotional due to the attachment the audience has made and the guards as well (especially in the case of Coffey).
This is just another in a long list of brilliant films from my favourite year of cinema; 1999.
Score/Soundtrack
Darabont collaborator Thomas Newman delivers one of the finest scores I’ve heard, and it complements the tones of the film – from the heart and human spirit, to the heartbreak and evil that occurs too.
Overall
I forgot how both wonderful and emotional this film was. Each of the cast delivers an impecable performance.
From the direction, to the set designs, even hair, costumes etc are simply flawless.
A must watch.
5/5