The Green Mile Film Review

Rating: Null/10 (18 June 2013)

Pleass note that this review contains a "spoiler".
The Green Mile Film Review
The 1999 film, The Green Mile, is based on the 1996 Stephen King novel. The film is told as a look back of the life of a death row corrections officer, Paul Edgecomb, during the Great Depression of the 1930's, and the supernatural actions that took place during his employment with the penitentiary.
The plot of the film, The Green Mile, begins at the Cold Mountain Penitentiary and the corrections officer, Paul Edgecomb played by Tom Hanks, is in charge of death row, also known as the green mile, and the inmates that are housed there. Paul works with three other officers: Brutus "Brutal" Howell played by David Morse, Harry Terwilliger played by Jeffrey DeMunn, and Dean Stanton played by Barry Pepper. John Coffey played by Michael Clarke Duncan, is an inmate on death row that has been accused of the rape and murder of two white little girls. John Coffey's appearance is intimidating, as he is eight feet tall and huge, however he is very shy, soft-spoken, emotional, kind hearted, and scared individual. This is where one theme is presented in the film; you should not judge a book by its cover.
While Paul is watching over John he witnesses acts of super natural ability that John performs by healing Paul's urinary tract infection and bringing a mouse back to life that was killed. Eventually John heals the Warden Hal Moores's, played by James Cromwell, terminally ill wife that is dying of cancer. This is another theme presented in the film, to use your gifts wisely. When John is questioned about his super natural ability to heal he replies that he "took it back". Paul befriends John and tries to find out what happened to the two small girls, John states that he "punished the bad men, but couldn't take it back". John than takes Paul's hand, gives Paul apart of him, and shows Paul what really happened to the two girls. John was only trying to heal them. When it is time for John's execution, Paul is torn with letting him go or continuing with the execution. John is tired of all the pain and is ready to be executed. John takes the last mile, which is the walk from his cell to the execution chamber. After the execution, Paul goes on and lives to be 108 years old- a sure side effect of John giving a part of himself to Paul. However, John feels like his long life is a punishment from God for killing one of his miracles, and wonders how long it will be before he dies.
There are many themes in the film, The Green Mile, from God's calling for you, quilt or regret, miracles, wrongly accused, life after death, healing and forgiveness. The calling from God, when John touched Paul, Paul changed. Paul carried a lot of quilt and regret for allowing John, a miracle from God, to be executed. John Coffey was able to heal and restore life. Another film that deals with quilts or regrets, God's calling for you, life after death, healing and forgiveness is the film, Dead Man Walking.
Dark lighting used in the film, The Green Mile, represents fear and hope of the inmates. Hope for forgiveness and life after death. The light lightning, such as sunlight, represents the innocence of the two little girls that were raped and murdered. The colors used by the director were dull colors that represent the Great Depression and death row for the inmates. The motif presented in the film is the way John's takes it back, takes the bad or illness from someone. This is presented several times and involves John inhaling the badness or illness out of the other person, he inhales it, coughs it up and it comes out in a black mass.
According to Paul from The Green Mile 1999, "And my curse is knowing that I'll be there to see it. It's my atonement, you see — it's my punishment for letting' John Coffey ride the lightning. For killing a miracle of God You'll be gone like all the others, and I'll have to stay. Oh, I'll die eventually; of that, I'm sure. I have no illusions of immortality. But I will have wished for death long before Death finds me. In truth I wish for it already. On the day of my judgment, when I stand before God, and he asks me whydid Idid I kill one of his true miracles.what am I going to say? That it was my job? It was my job.". This is a great quote from Paul that hits the nail on the head about the themes presented in the film, The Green Mile.