A Gem To Remember

This is the first time I am writing about a movie. Though I watch a lot of them and thoroughly enjoy them, it’s a rare occurrence for a movie to have a lasting impression on me. The only movie, after ‘The Shawshank Redemption’, that left me with a heavy heart is ‘The Green Mile’ which I want to talk about.

I will not review it as a movie critic, but talk about it as a person who could dwell into the characters and learn how life can put you in helpless spots that have dire consequences in the future. How you can simply wish life and things were not exactly the way you see it. There is always a different perspective to people and that there is always a story behind you not known to all. Some being wonderful while some being upsetting.

This 1999 movie touched me and stirred a whirlwind of thoughts in my mind. It made me connect with the characters and empathise with them. There were moments where I could smile at the same time cry with them. It built an illusion of having to live through their moments.

The kind of job Tom Hank’s character, Paul, had was clearly not for the weak hearted. He worked as a head guard for the prisoners in the last mile, or the green mile as they called, whose days were numbered as they were waiting for their death row. He never judged nor mistreated any of the inmates for the crimes they committed. He treated them as human beings giving them respect, for they really did not have anything else to look forward to. This is easily a sad place where hopes are lost, and watching the prisoners who eventually get executed, I wondered how Paul, and his other guards, could stay calm and carry on everyday with their profession without showing any visible distress. You could think that it was their job but staying kind and polite to the prisoners in spite of being in that job was not easy. When the gifted ‘huge’ inmate, John comes in, you are immediately skeptical about how he is going to be, for he looked dangerous. But, you slowly understand that you wouldn’t find a person more innocent and scared than him.

As the movie progresses you understand each of their lives and characters. You have an extra fondness for John and you also realize he is in there for a crime he would have never committed. However, you also know the ultimate fate that is waiting for him. Towards the end, the emotions of all the guards and John has been portrayed with so much conviction that you can’t help being sorry for all of them. Paul really wished he could change the impending misfortune of John but he knew there was nothing he could do. John at the same time embraced his situation and life in a helpless manner but he was certain that he did not want to change anything. John was fed up of living in a world with the powers he possessed but not able to do much out of it. He was fed up of seeing how the world treated each other with hate and disgust leading to an unhappy unjust human behaviour where people can even kill using love. A strong statement which is extremely relevant in today’s world as well : a world 20 years ahead of this film’s making. Seems like nothing much has changed except that hatred and cruelty have manifolded to different depths!

The way this movie reflects upon humanity- the good and bad, is beyond words. It shakes you and you wish (like how you always do when you hear unpleasant happenings in the world) that humanity lived in harmony. ‘Peace’ and ‘love’ are two underrated words. In the end, all that matters in this world are those two words.