The Green Mile , directed by Frank
Darabont, is based on a series of novellas written by Stephen King
about death row inmates. Traditionally, the distance from the
inmates’ cells to the electric chair is known as the ‘last mile’.
But since this particular passage is lined with linoleum the color
of faded limes, it is known as the ‘Green Mile.’
The film is the flashback story of a
prison guard who supervised ‘death row’ inmates in Louisiana during
the Great Depression. It revolves around John Coffey, a convicted
murderer and Paul Edgecomb, the death row supervisor. Coffey’s
unexplainable healing prowess and his ability to foresee events
stuns the prison guards and inmates. The Green Mile boldly
defies any attempt at categorization. It refuses to be put into a
particular box with its various underlying and intersecting themes
hitting at the heart of racist America in the 1930s.
The main theme of the movie is
mortality and life after death. This is visible in the inmates’
conversations with Edgecomb. For some of the inmates, it is the
expectation of a happier life after death, which makes execution
bearable. Racial prejudice is a significant theme of the film and is
evident in Percy’s (the governor’s nephew and a prison guard)
treatment of Coffey. The film is very similar to the Shawshank
Redemption (also directed by Frank Darabont) and borrows from it the
themes of confinement, insanity, loneliness and evil.
The film has been shot cleverly;
its shifts between flashbacks and present times make for
interesting viewing. The director uses drab colors and
surroundings to signify the depressive fate of the inmates as
well as the Depression. Light is used to suggest fear and hope
whereas sunlight is used to denote the innocence of the two
murdered girls. The script is intelligent in that it explores a
plethora of human emotions: love, kindness, humility, cruelty,
revenge and insanity. The direction is crisp, yet blurry in
keeping with the themes of the film. The story moves slowly but
has enough twists and turns to hold the viewers’ interest.
The director uses a character as
seemingly insignificant as Mr. Jinnings, the mouse to lead the
audience into a riveting tale.
The film displays acting at its very best in Michael Clarke
Duncan’s portrayal of Coffey and Hanks portrayal of Paul
Edgecomb. The supporting cast makes the characters come to life
as if they just stepped off the pages of King’s novellas. The
special effects used during the film are light, lightning and
the shattering of glass and bulbs. These are always linked with
Coffey’s miracles and make them seem more real.
Altogether, the film is cleverly written, produced and directed.
The director gets the most out of each actor as he explores
human emotions in this incredible motion picture.
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