Directed by:
Frank DarabontScreenplay:
Frank DarabontCinematography:
David TattersallComposer:
Thomas NewmanCast:
Tom Hanks, David Morse, Bonnie Hunt, Michael Clarke Duncan, James Cromwell, Michael Jeter, Graham Greene, Doug Hutchison, Sam Rockwell, Barry Pepper (more)Plots(1)
Oscar Winner Tom Hanks Stars in Stephen King's Magical, Epic Drama. Nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, this emotional, touching film about miracles and the power of redemption stars Tom Hanks as prison guard Paul Edgecomb. When a giant of a man is brought to death row, Edgecomb and his fellow guards discover something very unusual about their new charge, John Coffey (Oscar nominee Michael Clarke Duncan). Convicted for the sadistic murder of two young girls, but behaving almost childlike himself, Coffey seems to have a supernatural gift of healing living things. Expectations are turned upside down and the guards' sense of humanity is awakened in this astonishing adaptation of Stephen King's compelling novel. (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment)
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Reviews (11)
The Green Mile made an even stronger impression on me (forgive the conventional comparison) than Shawshank when I first watched it. Gradually, though, the roles have reversed significantly, and it emerges that the former title represents filmmaking conducted on a much simpler narrative basis, which at times applies pure emotional cynicism far more forcefully and ostentatiously than the more subtly constructed and poetic Shawshank. Yet words are inadequate to describe how much I admire and love this film, its "absorbing" narrative concept, the performances, its dramatic timing and its ideas. Darabont again leads the attention in a minimalist way, enclosing his actors for three hours in a fictional world where, despite the strict rules and the depressing aura of inevitable death, he defines a precise space for conflict, hatred and fear, but also hope, friendship and humour, and by constantly changing moods depending on the presence of a particular character and gradually tightening the screws on the reveal of the main mystery, the director establishes one of the most complex emotional experiences in the history of cinema. If you want to experience films and draw inspiration from them, The Green Mile will suck you in, move you to tears and show you that even in the least joyful places, where the minutes drag on and life seemingly has no meaning, it pays to be a good person. Miracles really do happen, not only John Coffey but Frank Darabont in particular is proof of that; )
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Michael Mann has "Time is luck," Tom Hanks has "Earn it." Within the span of two years, Hanks starred in two similarly phenomenal films where the setting plays second fiddle, because the main role was a well-lived life. However, while in Saving Private Ryan he plays the rescuer, in The Green Mile he is the one being rescued. Frank Darabont has a masterful ability to work with emotions, doing so in a simple and understandable way (with music, editing and directing actors), yet it is not simplistic or overly sentimental with a carpet bombing approach towards the viewers. The film is full of nuances and grand gestures, from which everyone can take what they personally prefer.
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Paul Edgecomb meets John Coffey and I have no idea that the most painful film I have ever seen awaits me. Unbelievable power throughout the entire running time and a climax that I watched in awe, unable to catch my breath. There are not many films that have touched me more deeply, and yet I'm not sure if I could emotionally handle a second viewing. Every actor's performance is extraordinary, and another brilliant film by Frank Darabont that surpasses even the emotionally escalating source material by Stephen King.
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This is a kitsch tear-jerker that relentlessly and mercilessly tortures the audience for over three hours with its relentless pursuit of maximum pathos. It uses New Testament parables, miracles, the supernatural, compassionate glances, and spares no expense with the large number and intensity of its clichéd characters. A miracle happened to me, too, and it was that I somehow endured the three hour running time, but only just. In retrospect, I can not help but marvel at how anyone could be moved by such a matchless piece of trash, let alone how it could be so massively popular... I understand that lovers of severely kitsch tear-jerkers may find something to like here, but for me, it rather reaffirms, again and again, that the adaptations of King's books, with the exception of The Shawshank Redemption, do nothing for me. For the performances of Hanks and Duncan I give 1 star, a higher rating is out of the question as I can not think of anything constructive.
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Book/movie, I can confirm today, it doesn't matter. The story of The Green Mile belongs on the pedestal of the best ever written. What adds up to an extra marathon of over 3 hours is an immensely strong line-up of great supporting characters, among whom even star power Tom Hanks remains slightly overshadowed. Another bonus is the brilliant musical score by Thomas Newman and the slightly altered tone compared to King’s novel, which pushes the envelope a bit more in some moments and turns it almost into a fairytale as a result. Very dark and adult, but still universal enough to be fully experienced by a nine-year-old boy whose parents let him watch it past midnight for the first time in his life.
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Gallery (92)
Photo © 2001 Warner Bros.
![The Green Mile - Photos](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/000/081/81006_56b002.jpg)
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