Green Mile, The (1999)

reviewed by
Homer Yen


The "Mile" Well-Traveled
by Homer Yen
(c) 1999

There is an underlying theme that runs through "The Green Mile," which I think rings hauntingly true. And that message is this: Although love and brotherhood are the pillars of society, evil constantly chips away at its foundation. Those who try to tirelessly uphold goodness are subject to great duress. Some grow weary over time and give up. Others continue their battle through great sacrifice.

"The Green Mile," set during the post-Depressionary era in the deep South, is a touching and tender story about two men who try to uphold these heavy pillars. Paul (Tom Hanks) is one of these men, whose outlook on life is seriously challenged everyday. He has taken on some kind of ailment that causes him great pain. His best friend and warden of the Penitentiary (James Cromwell) is suffering a personal tragedy. And his job immerses him in an environment that points toward society's continual decline.

Paul is a supervisor of correctional officers for Cell Block E at the Louisiana State Penitentiary. Prisoners who come to this particular cellblock are all convicted murderers who will soon be executed for their heinous crimes. One new arrival severely taxes Paul's love for humanity. Nicknamed ‘Wild Bill' (Sam Rockwell), he is mean, vulgar, and openly invites confrontation. No one deserves a swifter death than this morally depraved psychotic killer does. Paul is also baffled by the mean-spiritedness of one of his officers, Percy (Paul Hutchison), who likes to lash out at cellmates out of sheer petulance. Percy is nothing but a selfish wimp, but only gets his way because he is the Governor's nephew. These sets of circumstances would be enough to tax any man's patience. Yet Paul believes that good exists in everyone, and exercises compassion and charity in everything he does.

One day, he receives a new prisoner name John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan). He has been convicted of brutally raping two young girls. John is quite a sight to behold. With his muscular build and 300 pound, 7-foot tall frame, he could easily intimidate the bravest of men. But there's something gentile about him. "Do you leave the lights on after dark," he asks Paul in a deep, syrupy voice? He's quiet and simple-minded. He's even afraid of the dark and sometimes cries at night. But what really humbles Paul is John's unique gift of healing. What John possesses is a gift from God. As Paul gets to know him a little better, he begins to question his guilt. "I work with violent men everyday," he says. "There doesn't seem to be any real violence in him."

The "Green Mile" is a wonderfully told story, purposeful in pace and thoughtful in its development. Characters slowly blossom like flowers in the morning air. It takes over an hour to meet before all of the characters are fully introduced. The result is an emotionally compelling story filled with vivid characters, each with affecting tales of their own. Tom Hanks effectively conveys fear and awe in light of what he has seen as well as his personal anguish given his duty at hand. And the supporting characters all add to the movies overall depth. I only wished that it were 30 minutes shorter. It does take quite some patience to be able to sit through a three-hour movie. And the first and last 15 minutes are not as impactful as the rest of the film. But your time will be well rewarded, and when the Oscar nominations are announced, I suspect that this film will be well rewarded too.

Grade: A-


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