Thursday, October 25, 2012

An analysis of the movie 'The Green Mile'


Underlying Values of The Green Mile
            Society has come far since the days of  wrongful execution and ill-conceived assumptions due to race. The issue of humanity has been brought to the surface and the days of the electric chair have passed. While society has grown a lot since the days of inhumanity; it is movies like "The Green Mile" that convey underlying values that should not be forgotten. There is a myriad of ideas that permeate throughout the movie, a few of these ideas include the way John Coffey is treated due to his race. Another would be the opening scene and how the director uses it to foreshadow the truth. The director of this film Frank Darabont does a great job of implying a deeper meaning related to humanity, and whether or not execution is righteous.
the green mile
Picture thanks to:
www.en.wikipedia.org
            During the time this movie takes place there were many laws in effect that treated blacks unequally. What if John Coffey was white? Jim Crow laws were meant to keep blacks and whites separate but equal. While this made sense at the time, often blacks would be thought of as lower class and treated as such. Proof of this is shown when John is called names by Wild Bill  "I don't see why white man has to sit in a n***** electric chair. White man should have his own d*** electric chair." John might not of even been in jail for murder if he were white. The film shows this when John is shown holding two bloodied girls, the first assumption of the parents and townsfolk was that he killed them. No time was left for John to explain, blacks were treated as inferior and their word would not be trusted over a white man's.
            Foreshadowing is portrayed by the director of The Green Mile in a subtle but complex way. In the initial flashback the film only shows John holding the two girls covered in blood after they have died. This is a great way to foreshadow and leave the viewer of the film open to other things that could have happened. Another piece of foreshadowing shown by the film is in a scene where Paul says, "I just can't see God putting a gift like that in the hands of a man who would kill a child." This further hints to the fact that John is innocent. Although John is on the Green Mile and sentenced to execution, John had no influence. The racist slurs portrayed in the movie show that the justice system was not in his favor. In one of the final scenes the movie shows John grabbing Paul's hand and giving him the memory of Wild Bill kidnapping the girls, and stating "You love your sister? You make any noise, you know what happens. I'm gonna kill her instead of you. Understand?"(sic). John is shown as a "gentle giant" which is prevalent in a scene where he asks "Do you keep the lights turned on at night?" This is seemingly childish but points to the foreshadowing of him actually being innocent.
            Furthermore, an underlying value of humanity is prevalent throughout the film. The men of the mile make multiple references to wanting to be righteous and honorable. Paul speaks of "the day of my judgment" and how he doesn't know what he is supposed to say after he kills one of "God's miracles." The film is trying to convey that Paul is a good man and is questioning whether or not it is humane to someone who is wrongly convicted. On the other hand, Percy is portrayed as the rebel and is represented as the other end of the spectrum. Percy says "I think of it as a bucket of p*** to drown rats in. That's all. Anybody doesn't like it can kiss my a**." This is further evidence of Percy's inhumane values. Although he does work on the mile, he supposedly hates the mile. The film counters this when the men of the Green Mile find out that he is trying to transfer to a mental ward for higher pay. Situational irony is prevalent as Percy ends up being a patient at the same mental ward, a job well done by the director.
            Finally, the director intends the film "The Green Mile" to have a deeper meaning relating to humanity and race. John Coffey is portrayed as black for a reason. If John were white, he would likely have been treated differently and might not have even been in prison. The issue of humanity is portrayed thoroughly through the movie and is meant to show the viewer how society has advanced from the times of the electric chair. Lastly, the director does a great job of foreshadowing the truth about what actually happens which instills a further value of whether it is righteous to execute someone based on ill-conceived assumptions without knowing the truth beyond a reasonable doubt.

Sources:

The Green Mile. Dir. Frank Darabont. Universal Studios, 1999. DVD.

Turan, Kenneth. "Movie Review; Traversing 'the Green Mile'." Los Angeles Times: 1. Dec 10     1999. ProQuest Central. Web. 17 Oct. 2012 .

HUFF, LYNN. "Expectations Exceeded with `The Green Mile'." Sarasota Herald Tribune: 0.   Dec 16 1999. ProQuest Central. Web. 17 Oct. 2012 .

No comments:

Post a Comment