The Green Mile is a must-see film that adapts Stephen Kings novel, following Paul Edgecomb as he orders the death row block of Cold Mountain Penitentiary. He encounters John Coffey, a broad man who stands at 6’8, and is charged with accounts of rape and murder against two 6-year-old girls. As the film progresses, we watch Paul question John’s accountability for the crime, and notices inconsistencies in the report.
A small mouse is found in the block, which cellmate Delacroix adopts, until the main antagonist of the film – Percy Wetmore – steps in and quite literally steps on the mouse, effectively crushing it to death. John cries for the mouse, which is placed in his hands, and here we witness Johns godlike ability of healing. He cherishes the mouse in his hands, until the tail begins to move and John falls back, his mouth agape as a swarm of flies escape his body. This convinces Paul and the other officers of the block of Johns innocence, but there is nothing they can do. His trial is scheduled, his crime has been convicted, and John Coffey will die at the hands of the electric chair – or as they call it, Old Sparky.
The film had major success due to its emotional nature and captivating plot, and was nominated for four Academy Awards, with two Oscar nominees. It’s director, Frank Darabont, had previous success with his film adaptation of Stephen Kings ‘The Shawshank Redemption.’
There is large debate as to which film is better – The Shawshank Redemption or The Green Mile. Shawshank was a box office disappointment, grossing only $16 million for its initial run, while The Green Mile finished the first week with earnings of $23.9 million. However, King himself had a preference to The Shawshank Redemption and so do many due to its nuanced characters and roots in the real world. Both films are incredible and the matter of which is better comes down to your opinion. Suckers for Stephen King adaptations I’m sure can agree Darabont’s adaptations are other-worldly compared to the cheesy, poorly written ones we’ve been subjected to (take Cell as an example.) The only other credible adaptation is The Shining, which surprisingly King was not a fan of.
Back to just The Green Mile - the colour palette of the film is earthly, which paradoxes the inhumane killing of an innocent man – John Coffey. The music in the film emphasises each scene, and when no music plays it makes a scene just that more intense. There are points where no sound can be heard bar the scuttling of the guards’ shoes walking down a corridor, while the prisoners reside in their cells waiting for their trial to come, showing the solitude they feel. The film has a beautiful way of building intensity and reaching climaxes.
Visual effects play a major role – such as John’s character looking massive in comparison with even the buffest of the guards. Clever camera angles were used to make John appear taller and larger than he really was, and smaller props used to trick the audience. CGI techniques are also used to portray the mouse ‘Mr Jingles’, as well as an animatronic.
The performance of the actors is as incredible as it is captivating, and despite the film being a lengthy 3 hours long, watching it I never felt bored with what was happening. In conclusion, the film is one everyone should watch and, in my opinion, is the greatest work to ever hit the screen. The characters are intriguing, the plot is mesmerising, the twists are unexpected. I can also recommend the book, which was done no shame by the adaptation, and is one of Kings greatest works.
Slight spoiler ahead... this is probably the most captivating part of the film (at least for me.)
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