For the movie lovers, a film is usually important for a day, or two; or if it is something very extraordinary, for weeks.
But for me, Green Mile is a movie that still grabs my imagination and attention ever since I watched it some six years back.
If you ask me any single reason for such an intense liking, I might not be able to explain the reason for the embellishment. I might struggle to single out any thing in particular that is unique to the film. In fact, it is a monolith.
Still What’s so Special About Green Mile?
Is it the plot? Maybe.
The story opens as a recount of an old man, Paul Edgecomb, who is old enough to die, but he does not due to a reason one can find only after watching the movie.
He has a secret that might explain his longevity.
He finally decides to share his secret with a fellow lady at the old-age home where he is spending the rest of his life.
The old man recalls the day when he was a prison officer in charge of the death row—the place called the last mile, or the green mile.
The most celebrated actor Tom Hanks personates the character of Paul Edgecomb and the in charge of the Green Mile.
He is a kind-hearted guy, like all his fellow corrections officers except for one: Percy, who leads a strange prisoner one day into the green mile.
This “enormous” black guy seems to be too terrifying to be expected any decency from him, and it was the 1930s when racism was the norm rather than the exception.
John Coffey’s own defendant lawyer thought he was not better than his pet dog, who ate an eye of his son.
But the convict of a dual murder and rape of the two minor girls gets supernatural powers, and Paul becomes the first beneficiary.
What Happens in Green Mile Stays in Green Mile!
The proverb has been repeated in the film at least two or three times, and it is an allusion to a wonderful tale of the human psyche. It is about virtue and vice too.
It suggests the personal virtue or vice is not limited to those who are supposed to exhibit it publicly. The story also reflects that sometimes visuals can be deceptive. Even the convict of a dual murder could be its carrier. What if the convict is not guilty at all!
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In any case, Stephan King, the writer, sprinkles a genius. He seems to have an ocean-deep experience in reading human nature.
Besides, John Coffey and Tom Hanks, two other characters of the movie are the exemplifications to understand the sadistic nature of man. It could be either in the captive or the captivator.
Percy and Wild Bill
Percy is one of the prison guards, who claimed or at least retained his position due to his political connections. He is a man who gains satisfaction in teasing others.
Both his jailer fellows and the prisoners loath him alike, the reputation he earns deservingly. He treats his seniors with contempt and the prisoners with even more degradation.
But there is another character that Stephan King depicts even more despicable than Percy; it is Wild Bill.
Wild Bill depicts the vilest side of human nature.
Even the deadliest beasts tend to disturb the peace of the environment for a reason. They hunt or kill the prey in order to satiate their hunger.
But Wild Bill is worse as he finds his “peace of mind” only through causing pain to others.
Besides, as it is later found out by the man with special powers, John Coffey, that Wild Bill is the one responsible, he ended up on the death row.
Wild Bill is the man who raped and killed the two minors.
Overview
Green Mile is one of the few movies that leave its marks on the viewer, and that explains why the film is one of the top-rated film on IMDB chart.
