The Green Mile: small border between magic and reality to speak of injustice

I wanted to look into the adaptation of the book "The Green Mile", released in 1999 and directed by Frank Darabont. It’s a film that I consider to be an American cinematographic masterpiece, just like its origin, the novel written by the very humbly famous Stephen King recognized in particular for his many novels such as "Shinning", "The Stand", "It" and many others.

To quickly summarize the story of this film, it is the story of John Coffey, a colossus who was sentenced to the electric chair for the rape and murder of two little girls; but the latter turns out to be endowed with strange powers.

I think this film has already been seen by most of us, but are we leaning on the deeper issues that are addressed in it? This film, dramatic and at the same time fantastic, remains far from the simple objective of entertaining and upsetting the spectator, but also encourages reflection on many subjects; such as the brilliant way to question the death penalty, question our notion of good and evil and our ability to face life and death. We can go further by also analyzing the racism present in this film, especially at that time.

Today we are going to look more precisely at "John Coffey", a role played by Michael Clarke Duncan. The film opens in 1996, with the old Paul who after watching the movie will remember the year 1935 when he was still a guard in block E of a Louisiana prison, nicknamed " the green mile" about the ground which leads the condemned to death to the electric chair of this same color. The great John Coffey, sentenced to death unjustly for the rape and murder of two little girls, finds himself in this place devoid of hope. This imposing-looking gentleman is not a big bad guy, he is even afraid of the dark and refuses to hurt anyone alive, even a little mouse! Although the prison guards do their best to be fair and pleasant towards the future death row inmates in an attempt to give them a good end of life, the cruelty of the outside world quickly strikes the viewer with the character of Percy, who is cruel and violent towards the prisoners. The behavior of the latter is in the image of the sanction given in this place ; this offers John a very divided vision of society, he who has known only one side. Whether in Block E or in the outside world, some will always give their best, while others will always be content to express their worst, and that, John understood it well.

We will therefore learn later that John has superpowered powers to cure any disease, or even to restore life; it is at this moment of the film that we will switch to the fantastic. Paul will be the first to know about it, giving rise to a feeling of injustice and guilt in him, faced with such a pure man. The more the film progresses, the more John appears as a Saint in the eyes of the guards and the spectators, which restores hope in a place where there is no longer any in essence. Beyond that, there is also a dark reality that cannot be ignored: that of racism present in the world. Sentenced to death because the bodies of the little girls were found in his arms; although he never ceased to claim his innocence, he was sentenced immediately, without a lawyer, without justice, at the sight of his skin color. The whole absurdity of the death penalty is the impossibility of going back, so it is natural to feel a deep sense of injustice when looking at the green mile.

For the viewer, it becomes more and more difficult during the film to think about John's execution, although for him, being exhausted by the situation, it would only be a release. John's last wish was to watch a movie for the first time, which Paul will watch for a second time in his retirement home at the end of the movie. Paul himself, at the end of his life, walks on a green line in the retirement home, the ground being the same color as that of the prison; reminding us that we are all walking our own green line.

Here is my analysis of this masterpiece that is "The Green Mine" and more particularly of the character of John; for me this film should be watched warm when it's cold outside, that's why I would recommend a good hot chocolate to enjoy in front of this magnificent story, letting go of your emotions!

- Eva G.