The Green Mile DVD Review:

When I read the synopsis of this Movie for the first time, I wasn't to inclined to watch it, particularly given the feature runs for over 3 hours. I do so on the basis that the team of Frank Darabont, knowing for his ability to keep a storyline going and surely one of the most amazing and versatile actors of all time; Tom Hanks were present.

Great performances all round, in one of the best book-to-movie translations I have ever seen. Tom Hanks plays Paul Edgecomb, the lead prison guard on "The Green Mile", the title, deriving for the nickname for death row at Cold Mountain prison during the depression (the time in which this movie is set). It is he that will act as a narator for the story.

The movie starts by presenting us with Edgecomb as an old man in a home for the elderly. He is caused much stress by his past, and this comes to the attention of one of his companions, who he then explains his past to (hence leading us into the core of the movie). From here The Green Mile just enwraps you, if you can turn this film off from this point on, ye art a stronger man than I. This is surely Darabont's masterpeice, his best work, he keeps this watcher on an emotional ride throughout and places it firmly in the drama genre. The down-right sickening actions of Wild Bill (played by a flourising young Sam Rockwell) along with the hateful actions of Percy (Doug Hutchinson), along with the way Darabont makes the viewer pour out their heart for John Coffey (Micheal Clarke Duncan) & indeed for Edgecomb (Hanks), and the way that Brutus Howell (David Morse) is portrayed as the reasonable human character to put everything in perspective. A sheer masterpeice.

This masterpeice of human cinematography has to be based on a great story line that allows you to feel this passion, whilst hard to put on paper, a gripping storyline in which it is revealed through outer-earth happenings between Coffey and Edgecomb that Coffey is in fact innocent of the crime for which he is on Death Row (that of killing the 2 daughters of his employers), it is later revealed that it was Wild Bill that indeed committed these crimes, and via his outer-earth power of healing, Coffey makes Percy kill Wild Bill, whilst he later reveals it was Wild Bill that committed the crime for which he himself is accused. Surely the most dramatic scene of them all however, has not much to do with either Coffey or Edgecomb, where Percy does not wet the sponge when placing Delaware on the electric chair, causing his head to catch fire and explode. The story ends by taking us back to Edgecomb as an old man, where he reveals some of the "magic" he shared with Coffey has given him a longer life and that in fact he is 108.

The acting in this peice is faultless. Micheal Clarke Duncan puts in the performance of his career managing to keep the difficult character of Jon Coffey tactfully and plausably, while Tom Hanks adapts to yet another different role to put in a fine performance as Edgecomb, whom is presented with problems that are easily idenifiable for the general public. David Morse as Brutus "Brutal" Howell puts in a simply stunning performance in a supporting role that just strengthens that of the lead (Hanks).

This film is nothing short of a masterpeice. The cinematography, photography, directing and above all the acting in this film is impeccable. Watch it. Watch it now.

Audio/Visual:
1:8.5:1 Anamorphic widescreen. The image remains sharp through out, especially considering 3 hours of movie is fitted on to one side of disc. The usual Dolby 5.1 is used when it comes to surround sound, the rear speakers are not used alot, but when used are to great if a little understated effect. It does well enought o put accross the mood. Pretty good, as are most modern US funded films.

Extras
Only 3 Extras on the disc. The first "Walking The Mile", its a good featurette and does feature Hanks, Clarke Duncan and Darabont amongst others, but is only 10 minutes in length and as soon as its caught your attention it finishes. The second is the movie trailer, which is a given in this day and age, while it is rounded off with the typical run of the mill Cast & Crew text highlights. A disapointing extras package, which surely would have benefitted from being made into a 2-disc SE, such as Priates Of The Caribean has more recently.

Overall:
5/5 - Classic film. The film itself is a masterpeice. While the disc lacks extras, it is still well worth a buy.

Site Contents Copyright© The Z Review, unless used with permission.This site has no intention to infringe on the rights of the film owners of The Green Mile and intellectual copyright holders of the movies mentioned herein & hold copyright over the movie, characters, merchandise & storyline.