The Green Mile Review

Click here to read my review of the Godfather Part III

"Please boss, don't put that thing over my face, don't put me in the dark. I's afraid of the dark."

Number 51 on the top 1000 greatest films of all time is the the 1999 adaptation of Stephen King's novel 'the Green Mile.'

Set during the Great Depression, Paul Edgecombe (Tom Hanks) Brutus "Brutal" Howell, (David Morse) Dean Stanton, (Barry Pepper) Henry Terwiliger (Jeffrey De Munn) and Percy Wetmore (Doug Hutchinson) are all prison officers on deathrow.  Their jobs introduce them to one very special prisoner: John Coffey. (Michael Clarke Duncan) John Coffey is a giant of a man who wrongly convicted for the rape and murder of two little girls is sentenced to death.  What makes John Coffey special is his gift to heal the ailments of others, no matter how severe.

Michael Clarke Duncan is an absolute powerhouse in this film.  He was nominated for the Academy Award for best suppporting acotr and it is easy tos ee why.  He fills up every single shot, not just due to his massive frame, but also his captivating presence.  John Coffey is very much the archetypal gentle giant, highly sensitive to the pains of others.  Whilst his character is somewhat reminiscent of the magic "negro" stereotype, he is still a great character.  Michael Clarke Duncan plays the part beautifully.  He does so much more than cry.  He entralls, he engages and he intrigues.  Despite how the prison officers discover that John is innocent, they are unable to prevent his execution.  This scene arrives at the film's conclusion and it is absolutely heart-breaking.  Even I had a lump in my throat.

The film's setting of death row was also a great backdrop.  Being set in a prison, you are introduced to the best and worst of humantiy.  However, the characters that are good and bad aren't the ones you would expect.  One of the prisoners is William "Wild Bill" Wharton (Sam Rockwell), a vile, disgusting and despicable man- very much everything you would expect a serial killer to be like.  However, at the other end of spectrum, there is Eduard Delacroix who is charming, likeable and friendly, despite being an arsonist, rapist and murderer. 

Although, psychopaths can be charming.  I know that Jeffrey Dahmer lured his victims by feigning an injured hand.  Anyway, so whilst on one hand you have the charming and the genial Eduard Delacroix, you have the revolting, antagonistic and unpleasant Percy Wetmore.  This character is horrible, but I think this is a testament to King's original writing and Frank Darabont's screenplay.  To subvert a viewer's expectations about he morality of certain characters is a powerful and effective device to keep them engaged and it works well here.

I haven't read the Green Mile, but I have read other Stephen King's texts and this adaptation is faithful to the themes of redemption, the supernatural and horror.  And oh boy, this film is horrific.  In the film's most horrific scene, Percy Wetmore to spite Eduard Delacroix one last time purposefully decides not to wet the sponge before placing it under the electrocution cap.  This robs him of a quick, painless death and, rather, he dies excruciatingly.  This scene is sickening to watch, but done well.  It truly showcases the worst of humanity.  Percy Wetmore is a despicable character, which is conveyed by Doug Hutchinson's great performance.  Even though, I haven't discussed them, Tom Hanks and the rest of the cast were also all great. However, Michael Clark Duncan blows them all out of the water and he is the reason that I am giving this film a superlative rating.  Yep, after Three and Out, City of God, Rang De Basanti and the Godfather, this is the fifth film to be rated as "superlative."

Sure you can criticise it for its three-hour run time, but I think you need three hours to really explore the intricacies of the narrative and characters.  All in all, this is a brilliant film and John Coffey's death is a silencing of one of the gentlest lambs in film.