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An Analysis of The Green Mile

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An Analysis of The Green Mile
An Analysis of The Green Mile

January 10, 2013

"We each owe a debt, there are no exceptions. But oh God, sometimes The Green Mile seems so long."

The 1999 film, The Green Mile was a film that touched many. Originally this film was a novel, written in six volumes by the award-winning author Stephen King. In this film King sought out to depict the moral issues surrounding the death penalty from the beginning but as the film continues the audience is drawn to another very important factor. King showed the extraordinary and powerful role God plays in human life.
The film begins with an ederly man named Paul Edgecomb (played by Dabbs Greer) in a retirement center. Paul and several other residents are watching TV when an old movie very fond to paul starts playing. The camera shows a clip of the movie where a man and women are dancing to a song called song "Heaven”, Paul sees this he walks away, to go on his daily walk. A friend of his Elaine (played Eve Brent) follows him. As they are walking Elaine realizes that the movie stirred up some memories and emotions for Paul. As they are walking Elaine asks paul about it. At that point Paul begins to tell Elaine his story. He tells her that he was a prison guard during the Depression era, where he was in charge of Death Row, as called "The Green Mile" at that time, because of the green tiles found on the floor in the death row wing.
At this point the film flashes back to the 1930's at the State Prison, where a young Paul (played by Tom Hanks) and some of the other guards; Brutus "Brutal" Howell (played by David Morse), Dean Stanton (played by Barry Pepper) and Harry Terwilliger (played by Jeffery DuMunn) are bringing in a new inmate. His name is John Coffey (played by Michael Clarke Duncan). John Coffey was sent to Death Row after being convicted for the murder and rape of two small white girls.

As the film goes on Paul meets up with the Warden, Hal Moores (James

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