Review of The Green Mile (1999) by Filipeneto — 20 Feb 2018

Paul Edgecomb is a prison guard working on death row in a Southern prison during the thirties. It was in prison that he met John Coffey, a black giant accused of murder, but that seems able to do incredible things and have a kindness beyond doubt. Directed and written by Frank Darabont, based on a Stephen King novel, it features Tom Hanks and Michael Clarke Duncan in the lead roles.

This film is proof that, even in Hollywood, film art still finds a room. In fact, it's one of the most beautiful and human films made by the industry in recent decades and deals with controversial issues such as the impartiality of the justice and prison system, questionableness of capital punishment and the human right to a truly fair trial. The script is above reproach and it truly lives up to King's book. The cast surpassed in quality, particularly Michael Clarke Duncan, an actor who still isn't very famous outside the U.S. but that made a deep and moving role. Tom Hanks was also good but it wasn't unexpected because he had shone in recent films like "Philadelphia" or "Saving Private Ryan", launched one or two years before this.

Address controversial issues in an original and impactive way is often synonymous with success in cinema. Personally, I consider this film as one of the finest ever made in U.S. over the past decades. The film speaks for itself and that's enough to understand why I think so.