The Green Mile (1999)

Directed by: Frank Darabont | 181 minutes | crime, drama, fantasy | Actors: Tom Hanks, David Morse, Bonnie Hunt, Michael Clark Duncan, James Cromwell, Michael Jeter, Graham Greene, Doug Hutchison, Sam Rockwell, Barry Pepper, Jeffrey DeMunn, Patricia Clarkson, Harry Dean Stanton

Before 1999, few people had heard of Michael Clarke Duncan. His main claim to fame until then was a part in Michael Bay’s action spectacle ‘Armageddon’ (1998), in which the big, strong African-American actor starred alongside Bruce Willis. It was the same Willis who helped Duncan further in his career. When he heard that Frank Darabont was working on a film adaptation of Stephen King’s book ‘The Green Mile’, he called the director and recommended Duncan for the role of John Coffey. Darabont gave the tall Duncan a chance and wouldn’t regret it. Partly due to Duncan’s engaging performance, ‘The Green Mile’ (1999) became one of the most important films of the year. The actor himself was lauded and earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor, among other things. He lost out to veteran Michael Caine (‘The Cider House Rules’, 1999), for whom this Academy Award was primarily a reward for his entire career, but at least Duncan had made his name. Though the role of big gentle giant fit him like a glove, he would later turn up more often as the nemesis of tough action heroes. Who will give this man a role in which he can show his talents?

Frank Darabont feels at his best when he gets to adapt a Stephen King book. His directorial debut was an instant hit: ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ (1994) is considered one of the best films of the 1990s. With ‘The Green Mile’ he ventures into familiar territory, because that story also takes place in a prison and revolves around a special friendship between a white and a black man. However, ‘The Green Mile’ introduces a new element: the supernatural. The film is set almost entirely on death row, the death row of the Coal Mountain Louisiana State Penitentiary, in 1935. Only at the beginning and at the end are fragments from the present, which hug the story like bookends. Paul Edgecomb (Tom Hanks) looks back on his life as the head warden of the prison, also known as The Green Mile. He runs death row with four others – his best friend Brutus Howell (David Morse), young Dean Stanton (Barry Pepper), veteran Harry Terwilliger (Jeffrey DeMunn) and newcomer Percy Wetmore (Doug Hutchison), an insufferably sadistic little man who talks about it. goes on to say that his aunt is married to the governor and is only working on death row because he would like to attend an execution. Paul would like to evict him, but has no permission to do so.

All the guards – except Percy – strive for the most humane possible end for the prisoners and treat them with respect. In the death row, the simple yet cheerful Eduard ‘Del’ Delacroix (Michael Jeter) and the quiet Native American Arlen Bitterbuck (Graham Greene) await their doomsday. One day, a new convict is brought in. This gigantic John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan) looks more dangerous than he is, even though he’s on trial for the rape and murder of two young girls. He was found with the two bodies in his arms, so there was nothing to complain about on evidence. However, Paul soon discovers that John is very different from what he imagined. This giant is goodness itself; calm, friendly and docile. While Percy takes pleasure in tormenting the inmates, Paul and the others gently try to bond with them. It is precisely this attitude that Paul discovers that something very special is going on in The Green Mile. John Coffey turns out to have powers he never thought possible.

Like ‘The Shawshank Redemption’, ‘The Green Mile’ is a film that is largely supported by the actors. Tom Hanks is perfect for the role of the sympathetic protagonist, through whose eyes we see the story. Doug Hutchison convincingly plays the role of bigoted jellyfish – the man we love to hate. Sam Rockwell is allowed to indulge himself as a deranged, completely unhinged criminal and James Cromwell portrays prison director Hal Moores in a charming and dignified way. There are beautiful supporting roles for Harry Dean Stanton as the guinea pig during the practice sessions with the electric chair, Bonnie Hunt as Paul’s wife Jan and Patricia Clarkson as Hal’s terminally ill wife. Most impressive, however, is the performance of Michael Clarke Duncan, who moves as John Coffey and makes the audience suffer with him. It is also refreshing to see that the guards (except for Percy) treat the prisoners humanely, although it must be said that most of the convicts do not tell us what they have done and it is therefore easier to feel sympathy for them. Halfway through the film is a disturbing scene that delicately exposes the inhumane nature of the death penalty – in this case using the electric chair. The events in ‘The Green Mile’ are fictional, but what we are shown in that scene is based on true eyewitness accounts.

‘The Green Mile’ is a powerful film with a beautiful underlying message that will move many to tears. The characters are given every opportunity to present themselves and to develop and are portrayed excellently without exception. Darabont therefore focuses more on its characters than on the plot, which means that the viewer sees some events coming well in advance. Is that annoying? Often yes, but fortunately not in the case of ‘The Green Mile’. The (central) characters are so captivating and the miracle that takes place before our eyes is so intense that the predictability of the plot hardly matters. Even the more than 180 (!) minutes that the story takes to make its point are easy to condone. You can also forgive King and Darabont for the symbolism that is sometimes a bit too thick (because does John Coffey not strongly remind you of a historical figure with the same initials?). The emotional impact this supernatural drama has is so enormous that you forgive ‘The Green Mile’ all its shortcomings with love.