A touching story about humanity, love and belief

Rating: 10/10 (19 November 2002)

"The Green Mile" is the second adaption of a Stephen King jail house drama after "The Shawshank Redemption" (1994), both being directed by Frank Darabort. Tom Hanks in one his best roles plays a jail house office in the "Green Mile", the death row of a Lousiana country prison in 1935. When the tall black prisoner John Coffey arrives, being sentenced to death because of a double child murder), nothing will be the same. John appears as a simple-minded, but jesus-like faith healer, laying his hands on aching scrotums, trampled mice and maniac housewives and healing them within a few seconds only. While Hanks and his colleagues become aware of John's abilities and innocence, the sadistic rookie Percy Wetmore brings violence, hate and destruction into the small world of the "Green Mile".
This is not just another prison movie, but one of the most touching statements about love and violence, life and death, belief and disbelief, and finally about humanity and against the death penalty filmed during the last few years. The jail house wardens celebrate a row of executions - one becoming a painful torture to the victim and the audience after an act of sabotage by officer Percy - like a ritual, switching off their personal feelings. In the end they have to execute John, and even if they all now that he's innocent they can't stop his fatal walk to the electric chair... the film ends with one of the most touching finals of the movie world during the last few years!
The complete cast in this stunning drama is brilliant, especially Tom Hanks, his colleagues and the death row inmates. The most stunning roles of all is played by Michael Clarke Duncan as John Coffey, not speaking or moving much, but with an instant expression of pain and suffering on his face that won't let you untouched.
The whole atmosphere, especially in the Green Mile settings and the execution chamber, are touching, depressing and fascinating at the same time. There's a fine and minimal score by Thomas Newman and some lovely filmed tricks with a mouse who becomes a big attraction in this small world of death and suffering. Even if Darabont/King use some standard elements of fantasy/horror movies like Tom inhaling the evil and sickness from other people with a light stream, it never becomes kitschy or unbelievable. Watch this great movie!!!!