Directed by Frank Darabont
Writing credits Stephen King (novel)
Frank Darabont (screenplay)
Cast (in credits order) verified as complete
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The movie Green Mile started in a Louisiana nursing home in 1999. Paul Edgecomb begins to cry while watching the film Top Hat. His elderly friend, Elaine, shows concern for him and Paul tells her that the film reminded him of when he was a corrections officer in charge of Death Row inmates at Cold Mountain Penitentiary during the summer of 1935. The cell block Paul works in is called the "Green Mile" by the guards because the condemned prisoners walking to their execution are said to be walking "the last mile" to the electric chair; here, it is a stretch of faded lime-green linoleum.
One day, John Coffey , a giant black man convicted of raping and killing two young white girls arrives on death row. Coffey shows all the characteristics of being a "gentle giant": keeping to himself, soft-spoken, fearing darkness, and crying often. Soon enough, John reveals extraordinary powers by healing Paul's urinary tract infection and resurrecting a mouse. Later, he would heal the terminally ill wife of Warden Hal Moores, who suffered from a large brain tumor. When John is asked to explain his power, he merely says that he "took it back."
At the same time, Percy Wetmore , a sadistic and unpopular guard, starts work. He "knows people, big people" (he is the nephew of the governor's wife). Percy recognizes that the other officers greatly dislike him and uses that to demand managing the next execution. After that, he promises, he will have himself transferred to another hospital and Paul will never hear from him again. An agreement is made, but Percy then deliberately sabotages the execution. Instead of wetting the sponge, used to conduct electricity and make executions quick and effective, he leaves it dry, causing inmate Eduard "Del" Delacroix's execution to be botched and for him to die slowly in great pain.
Shortly before Del's execution, a violent prisoner named "Wild Bill" Wharton arrives, due to be executed for multiple murders committed during a robbery. At one point he seizes John's arm and John senses that Wharton is the true killer of the two girls, the crime for which John was convicted and sentenced to death. John "takes back" the sickness in Hal's wife and passed it into Percy, who then shoots Wharton to death and falls into a permanent catatonic state. Percy is then housed in the Briar Ridge Mental Hospital. In the wake of these events, Paul interrogates John, who says he "punished them bad men" and offers to show Paul what he saw. John takes Paul's hand stating that he has to give Paul "a part of himself" in order to see and imparts the visions of what he saw, of what really happened to the girls.
Paul asks John what he should do, if he should open the door and let John walk away. John tells him that he is ready to die because there is too much pain in the world. For his last request on the night before his execution, John watches the film Top Hat. When John is put in the electric chair, he asks Paul not to put the traditional black hood over his head because he is afraid of the dark. Paul agrees, shakes his hand, and John is executed.
As Paul finishes his story, Elaine questioned his age.Paul explains that he was 44 years old at the time of John's execution and that he is now 108 and still in excellent health. This is apparently a side effect of John giving a "part of himself" to Paul. Mr. Jingles, Del's mouse resurrected by John, is also still alive. Paul is left wondering, if Mr. Jingles has remained alive for all of this time being but a mouse, how long will it be before his own death?Paul believes that his old age is a punishment from God for having John executed.
Economy
In the 1930’s,USA was hit by the Great Depression. Industries that suffered most included construction,agriculture, shipping,mining and also automobiles.By 1935, unemployment in the USA had fallen around 25% down to around 17%.Many were working only part time and many others have dropped out of the workforce. Industrial production was 25% lower than it had been in 1929.Crime rate was on the increase and the movie showed Wild Bill was sent to the Penitentiary for committing multiple murders during a robbery.
Social
In the 1930’s, racism was as strong as ever in the Southern States(including Louisiana, where the movie begins). As John was a black man, he was being discriminated and being executed for a crime that he does not commit. A black American a t that time is being looked upon as a criminal and there was increased tension between the whites and the blacks.
Politics
In the movie, Percy Wetmore could get away with anything because he is the nephew of the Governor’s wife. He deliberately sabotaged an execution and was not questioned by the authorities. Law and regulations was not a priority at that time because the country has a bigger issue during the 1930’s , to decrease unemployment rate , increase productivity and revive bisnesses.
