Wonderful films like The Green Mile don't come along very often and so when you do you need to treasure and cherish them and keep them safe and warm. But don't ever take them for granted because such films are very prone to turning on you with a nasty sting in the tale. And while The Green Mile is a truly amazing film with plenty of moments of humour (mainly arising from the comradely relationships between the prison guards on Death Row), ultimately it's one of the most depressing films of all time.
It's based on a novel by that cheery soul, Stephen King, and deals with happenings on Death Row in a Louisiana prison in 1935. The green mile of the title is the path from the cells to the electric chair where in the end all the prisoners are fated to end their days.
You could be forgiven for assuming the depression arises from the scenes including that electric chair, and true enough they're horrifically graphic and genuinely disturbing (and that is the reason why Mrs D refused to watch this film), but for me there's something which is even more depressing
than those terrible moments - there are some truly awful musings on the nature of immortality and mortality with one of the main characters musing on his old age and how all his friends and family have died around him, leaving him lonely and isolated.
The whole film is obsessed with death and fear and cruelty and the easy but formal nature of ritualistic killing in the prison clashes with the horrific crimes of the murderers, with few clues as to which is the crueller, the criminal or the State. However, I could probably take all the gore and evil, but the way the film concludes, with the musings on loneliness, especially when you're on your own late at night and about to go to bed, left a lasting impact on me and gave me a very disturbed night.
If such things do worry you, or you know that a realistic execution will leave you feeling sick, then avoid this film like the plague. You'll miss a classic piece of cinema, which is well worth seeing, but you'll spare yourself some harrowing moments. I'm glad I watched it, but still feel the downside.
As said, the film features the story of a Louisiana prison and its head of security, Paul Edgecomb (played memorably and expertly by an on form Tom Hanks). David Morse plays Paul's chief assistant, the ironically named Brutal, who though he is a pretty tall guy is gentle and caring. The two of them carry out their awful vocations with an empathy and kindness, despite the circumstance and the irritations of a nasty piece of work called Percy Wetmore (played by Doug Hutchison, who has appeared in The X Files). Percy, one of the slyest, most spiteful and thoroughly despicable examples of the pits of humanity you will ever encounter, is the nephew of the prison governor and uses his position and connections to enact all sorts of sadistic acts on his captive victims. He has apparently no conscience or care for the consequences of his actions and is one of the most irredeemable characters you will encounter in many a long day.
Apart from the evil interventions of Percy, Paul runs a tight but happy ship and things are relatively easy going (for such a terrible place), but then a couple of new inmates arrive and things will never be the same again.
First there is the enormous black guy, John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan), towering over all around him, yet apparently timid and fearful of those around him, asking if the lights are kept on at night because of his fear of the dark.
In stark contrast to John, there is the manic, malicious, warped Wild Bill (Sam Rockwell), whose goal in life is to cause as much disruption and trouble as possible.
There is something strange about John and Paul finds out what when the big black man grabs hold of him and amazingly cures the painful bladder infection which Paul has been suffering from for weeks. John continues to use his mysterious powers to help those he meets, including restoring to life a mouse which the evil Percy crushes.
The mystery deepens as time goes on and the film proceeds to its climax, although I'm not going to give you any more info on the plotline. Unfortunately you'll have to check out this most depressing of films if you want to find out more.
The film is made by Frank Darabont, who was also responsible for The Shawshank Redemption, and he certainly gets some marvellous performances from a wonderful cast, with Hanks taking the main honours.
The film is sympathetically staged and developed with a powerful denunciation of the Deep American South's lynch mob tendencies and the cruelty of the Chair, without getting preachy. No feelings are spared in the pursuit of the disgust that Darabont clearly wants to generate, but it's all worth sticking with.
I'm glad I watched this powerful film, although I can't say that I'll be rushing to take a second helping.
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"The book was better" has been the complaint of many a reader since the invention of ... more
films.The Green Mileis Frank Darabont's second adaptation of a Stephen King prison dramaThe Shawshank Redemptionwas the first) and is a very faithful adaptation of Kin...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
"The book was better" has been the complaint of many a reader since the invention of ... more
films.The Green Mileis Frank Darabont's second adaptation of a Stephen King prison dramaThe Shawshank Redemptionwas the first) and is a very faithful adaptation of Kin...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Paul Edgecomb (Tom Hanks) is a slightly cynical veteran prison guard on death row in the ... more
1930's. Hi faith, and sanity, deteriorated by watching men live and die, Edgecomb is about to have a complete turn around in attitude. Enter John Coffey (Oscar nom...
![The Green Mile [DVD] [2000]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78527693.jpg "The Green Mile [DVD] [2000]")
Jan 26th, 2002
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