Set on Death Row in a Southern prison in 1935, The Green Mile is the remarkable story of the cell block's head guard, who develops a poignant, unusual relationship with one inmate who possesses a magical gift that is both mysterious and miraculous.
Frank Darbont's retro prison drama, The Green Mile is an old fashioned tale about good and evil existing under the same roof. Told through flashback, the film follows a group of guards working on death row, whose views are changed when a prisoner, John Coffey, is brought to their penitentiary accused of killing two little girls. Coffey may look like a dangerous brute, but is in fact he's a sensitive soul with a god like power.
Darbont has provided a story with a huge helping of emotional impact, it impresses, moves and jabs your heart at times, but unfortunately it's no Shawshank Redemption. The original book by Stephen King was made up of six episodes and this adaptation of the movie makes you feel like you're seeing each one of the books all in one long sitting.
Don't get me wrong, despite its length and stereotypes, this film is still a gem, it's imaginatively styled, intense and subtly performed. The relationship between Edgecombe and Coffey is tender and warm and the portrayal of the green mile itself which leads to "Old Sparky" the electric chair is extremely spine-chilling. The film does not gallop ahead or announce its full intention at the beginning, but instead drops little clues and lets the story unfold carefully, ensuring that it shrouds us with its quietly building tension.
Verdict
Fantasy prison drama, The Green Mile does not bear well under close inspection and will always live in the shadow of The Shawshank Redemption, however, the power of the cast's performances stop it from being ordinary and make it highly enjoyable to watch.
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