Rent The Green Mile (1999)

Fantasy Drama - Clever & Intriguing - The Green Mile review by GI

Director Frank Darabont's adaptation of Stephen King's celebrated novel is a film that requires at least two viewings to fully appreciate. The sheer epic structure and yet intimacy of the drama and the two quite shocking execution scenes in which the electric chair is shown to be a particularly flawed and cruel means of causing death cause the details of the narrative to be overlooked. On second viewing the small details that Darabont has included are revealed as rather important to the overall feel and texture of the film. As a supernatural/fantasy story this is a quite moving story and yet it's also difficult to pin down exactly what the basic theme of the film is. Certainly it boldly attacks capital punishment and there is the obvious condemnation on the weakness of the criminal justice system that so easily condemns a black man (one of the other executions is of a Native American). But this is also a spiritual story with possible religious overtones that doesn't reveal itself as a christian idealogical tale indeed in many ways it debunks the christian view of the incidents depicted. It can be read as a story of 'otherness' and one of good vs evil, and even one about the meaning of life and death within a universe that is not understood. Whichever way the text is read it is impactful and a bit of a tearjerker. Mostly set on death row in Louisiana State Prison in 1935 the main story is told in flashback by Paul (Dabbs Greer as the older man and Tom Hanks as the younger), who is the prison officer in charge of the wing and running the executions. One day a huge man, John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan) is brought in convicted of the murder and rape of two young children. It's not long before Paul and his team begin to witness strange events and come to believe that John has a unique gift which results in them becoming convinced he is innocent. The story is involved and character driven and also centre around the two real 'villains' of the film, Percy (Doug Hutchison), a prison guard and 'Wild Bill', a convicted serial killer (Sam Rockwell). There's a lot to debate here and the film warrants an in depth textual analysis but suffice to say that it's a film that dwells in the mind long after it's over and definitely grows on you the more it's viewed. The cast are all exceptional including David Morse, Barry Pepper, Jeffrey DeMunn, Bonnie Hunt, Patricia Clarkson and James Cromwell. One of those films you ought to take a relook at and certainly one to watch if you've never seen it.