Green Mile Summary

Rating: 10/10 (23 September 2013)

This must see movie created a whole new genre of its own. Although it might seem like another prison movie with an inspiring message, The Green Mile goes far beyond ordinary. Between a remarkable cast and flawless plot, The Green Mile will have audiences on a roller-coaster of emotions from beginning to end. Tom Hanks (Paul Edgecomb), a prison guard on death row, thinks that he has seen it all until John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan) is brought in. John is convicted of raping and murdering two small girls; however, there is something mysterious about John. Standing twice as tall as the guards, John appears to be capable of harming even the strongest of men, but his demeanor is kind and it throws the audience for a loop. How could a man come off as being so harmless, brutally rape and murder two innocent girls? It is obvious that Michael Clarke Duncan molded himself into John Coffey. The audience can almost feel the emotional pain that John Coffey is going through as the cell door slams shut. It is nearly impossible to imagine the extreme pain that one would go through during an electric chair execution. Not only do the viewer's get to see the execution of Arlen Bitterbuck, but also an execution gone wrong with Eduard Delacroix, played by Michael Jeter. During the execution Michael Jeter's blood curdling screams were so powerful I found myself begging for his suffering to end. The intense physical reaction to the horrific execution demonstrates that the actors clearly did their homework on how to portray their characters. Death row is where the worst of the worst criminals go, and The Green Mile found the perfect actors to make the audience experience how uncontrollable the inmates can be. Tom Hanks, along with David Morse, take control of the unstable Wild Bill Wharton, whose past adds a shocking twist to the story. The Green Mile uses the full potential of the all-star cast to make the audience feel as though they are part of the crew on death row from the beginning of the movie to the very last second.
The relationship between John Coffey and Paul Edgecomb is not one that would be likely between a prison guard and an inmate. Since the moment that John is brought into death row, Paul realizes that there is something off about John and his story. Without a doubt, John could easily take down all of the guards and run free, however he doesn't. John stays calm and emits immense sorrow for the crimes he committed. While the other criminals are banging on their cells, John stays calm and pleasant with each of the guards. It isn't until Paul suffers from a painful urinary tract infection that the plot of the story takes a dramatic twist. It is hard to tell if this movie is considered part of the science fiction genre after John displays magical healing powers, helping Paul. A death row inmate going out of his way to help a sick guard? With each twist and turn of the plot in The Green Mile, the audience is thrown on a whirlwind of emotions. Throughout the first half of the movie the viewers get a taste of how frightening the life of a guilty inmate is, but what if the inmate was innocent? Not only does the plot of The Green Mile draw in the audience's emotions making them feel emotionally connected to the movie, but it also creates wonder in the minds of the audience. After watching the movie, I found myself thinking about what I would do if I were an innocent inmate. Never before have I felt as engaged in a film as I did with The Green Mile. It is truly a roller-coaster from start to finish with an ending that changed how I view society and the justice system.
The Green Mile is absolutely a must see movie for all who are looking for a movie that will leave them guessing up until the very last moment. There is not another film that could come close to the impact that The Green Mile has on its viewers. Between a remarkable cast who made the audience believe they were part of the film, and a plot that has unexpected twists, The Green Mile deserves the highest rating and a wide range of awards.