King and Darabont are at it again...

Rating: Null/10 (24 April 2000)

There's a wonderful line in the opening scene of the classic movie `All About Eve' given by George Sanders: `Minor awards are for such as the writer and director-since their function is merely to construct a tower so that the world can applaud a light which flashes on top of it.'
`The Green Mile' is one of those towers. And what a wonderful tower it is, constructed by those two magic lantern architects Stephen King and Frank Darabont. They were the responsible parties behind the majestic edifice of `The Shawshank Redemption.'
Stephen King, the chief architect of `The Green Mile,' seems to draw unction for his greatest writing from the Bible. One of his most popular works, `The Stand,' is nothing more than a possible explanation for the book of Revelation. Whether you believe that the book of Revelation is a true prophecy or not, one cannot honestly deny it's incredible ability to fire the human imagination unlike any other words put to paper during the past two millennia.
It is quite obvious Mr. King has once again has gone back to the Bible to gather kindling to light the fire known as `The Green Mile.' But rather than John the Revelator's fantastic visions of future mayhem, he goes back to the beginning of the New Testament, and gathers his sticks amongst the rich woods of the four gospels. Unlike Revelation, the four gospels are a straightforward telling of the life of Christ, as witnessed by many of his disciples. These accounts are not meant to be, nor are they written as an allegory. Hence, much room is left for later wordsmiths to describe the life of Jesus in more poetic terms.
While one may either appreciate or hate `The Green Mile' without having ever read any of the works of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John; it is a far more interesting film when one watches it with the knowledge of the gospels in the forefront of one's mind. The gospel paradigm is almost an essential filter to distill the essence of what King and Darabont are trying to say.
Though the main character is a prison guard played by Tom Hanks, the true story of this film concerns the fate of a giant black man named John Coffey, as played by Michael Clarke Duncan. Here we have our messiah; falsely accused of a crime he did not commit, and sentenced to die for it. Not only is he innocent, but much like Jesus himself, Coffey is blessed with the gifts of healing and prophecy. (Careful viewers will find the Coffey character to have a demeanor very similar to Hank's Forrest Gump!)
But what's an allegory of the life of Christ without a Pharisee to shout `crucify him!' Mr. King does not disappoint in this regard, but supplies several Pharisees to counter the innocence found in John Coffey. We have a perverted prison guard, Percy Wetmore, who seems to have sadomasochistic tendencies. (He definitely being more of a sadist) and a prisoner named `Wild Bill' who hints at being demon possessed by choice. Not surprisingly, these two don't care much for the big African American messiah in there midst, and choose to torment rather than learn from him.
One also needs disciples for a proper messianic tale, and these are supplied by the characters of the `good' prison guards, played by Tom Hanks & Co. They have wisdom enough not to judge their wards, but do there best to care for them until the final judgment of the state of Louisiana is carried out. Having been in charge of violent men for several years, they quickly realize that John Coffey does not fit the profile of those who are routinely sent to their final resting place courtesy of `Old Sparky.' This realization creates an unwanted dilemma, for how can one, in good conscious, put to death an innocent man for crimes he did not commit?

Themes like these are not the talk of the local coffeehouses, but are critical to our advancement as moral agents. If nothing else, I can salute King and Darabont for pushing this issue into the forefront of our lives, that we may, if only for a few hours, contemplate the seriousness and finality of capital punishment. Those politically inclined have proclaimed that this film to be blatant criticism of capital punishment, but I don't see it that way. Too me, this film goes beyond that issue, and forces us to think critically about our own lives, and our own need for a Savior.
Frank Darabont, in his efforts to help construct this magnificent tower, shows just how much a film can impact us when a man with the proper temperament and talents is put to the task. His direction is tight and his techniques are subtle. He allows the story the room it needs, not cropping or chopping, as many would be tempted to do. The pace of life in the Deep South is slow and steady, and Darabont does a marvelous job of capturing that feeling in the confines of an impatient medium.
Stephen King did a fine job crafting the story the film is based upon, but leaves just a few too many loose ends that would have been best trimmed before publication. There are certain actions and scenes that just don't make sense, and though they don't majorly detract from the main story, they do detract somewhat from our understanding of the film. It's a bit distressing when I find myself rewriting a movie in my head while I'm watching it on the screen; and I admit doing it while watching `The Green Mile.' There were a few scenes where I found myself saying, `If only he would have said `B' instead of `A'  what impact it would have had!' It is my belief that had the script been just a bit more polished in places, this film would have been the rightful winner of `Best Picture' instead of `American Beauty.'