Green Mile is a fantastic tale of realistic human conditions on death row in a 1935 Louisiana prison....the ’’green mile’’. The horror is mitigated only by the compassion and kindness of the Prison Guards-excepting the cruel, sadistic Percy, who’s sick behavior contributes to the tension of the condemned men.
The newest prisoner, John Coffee, a hulk of a man, convicted of a heinous crime, ends up as a christ-like figure, with magical powers of healing the human body, his magic contrasting with the realistic conditions of the prison.
The story of the true circumstances of Coffee’s imprisonment and his use of magic while in the prison make for a riveting tale. The acting is perfect! The only hole in the movie would seem to be Coffee’s execution-why do the guards let him die? I suppose that it is explained only by Coffee’s desire to die, to be able to get to heaven, where he can exist in peace-he seems to anticipate heaven as he watches Fred Astaire in the moving picture show. He wants to be allowed to fry and the guards grant him his wish! Tough to swallow but it is the only explanation I can see for his death. Great movie, for 3 hours you will be in another world and you won’t even notice the passage of time. And remember: ’’What happens on the mile, stays on the mile; always has.’’