This is a film that's simply magical. The director Frank Darabont has crafted
a masterpiece, but it's equally the result of a powerful story written by
Stephen King. He writes gripping stories that are easily adaptable for the big
screen. More of his stories have been made into films than any other author.
There was an article in Empire Magazine which claimed that exactly 50 films
had been made from Stephen King stories, which it listed in chronological
order. As far as I remember, that article was printed round about 2005. How
many more films have been made since then?
Usually Stephen King is pigeon-holed as a writer of horror stories. That's an
accurate description of most of his novels, but not "The Green Mile". This
novel was a supernatural fantasy. It's full of religious imagery, but there
aren't any serious Christian messages. It's the quasi-Christian superstition
of the ignorant people who lived in the poverty of the Great Depression. The
prison guard Paul Edgecomb is genuinely afraid that he'll go to Hell. His
meeting with his maker is delayed. He's 108 at the beginning of the film, but
the final scenes take place some years later.
John Coffey, pictured above, has no fear of dying. He's an innocent who only
thinks of doing good in his life. The aura of a film projector above his head
makes him look like a saint. Can a saint live in our world? John is sentenced
to death for a crime he didn't commit. Paul knows he's innocent and wants to
release him, but John refuses. The evil in the world causes him pain.
"The Green Mile" has frequently been criticised for being too long. I
disagree. It's slow moving and intense. Every minute of the film is building
up to the emotional climax. It's a film that makes me cry every time I watch
it.
Success Rate: + 2.8
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