GREEN MILE, THE: DVD
SYNOPSIS:
Paul Edgecomb (Tom Hanks) is the prison guard in charge of Block E, the death row, in a
southern American jail in 1935. His small team, led by Brutus "Brutal" Howell
(David Morse), lead the convicted men through the last weeks of their lives, including the
final moments when they walk The Green Mile, the corridor with the lime green floor which
leads to the electric chair. But nobody knows how to deal with the newest inmate, John
Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan), a giant of a man who has been found guilty of an enormous
crime -the rape and murder of two little girls. Yet he is calm and meek to the core, an
insightful and childlike hulk of muscle. The more he gets to know Coffey, the more
Edgecomb starts to question his guilt. And when Coffey's real power comes to the fore, the
lives of those in and around death row, from Warden Hal Moores (James Cromwell) to the
psychotic prisoner William "Wild Bill" Wharton (Sam Rockwell), will be changed
in ways they never imagined.
"John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan) is a new inmate in ‘E Block’ at the
Cold Mountain Penitentiary. Coffey has within him the ability to perform miracles: he
heals those who are ill, and breathes life into those who are dying. However, after being
wrongly sentenced to death, the only life he can’t save is his own.
The image quality throughout this DVD is stunning in spite of the fact that a
three-hour movie must start to challenge the MPEG 2 video compression. Framed 1.78:1 and
16x9 enhanced, the picture is sharp, clean and clear throughout with just a hint of grain,
to remind you that you are watching a film. I wouldn’t hesitate to call it the best
video quality I’ve seen on a Warner Bros. DVD to date. The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio
track is also quite stunning in it’s own right. Constant, often subtle, use of the
surround speakers create a convincing atmosphere around you. Of particular note are the
number scenes which occur during a storm. Thunder literally comes from all around, putting
you right there in middle of the scene. This coupled with Thomas Newman’s highly
emotive score makes the soundtrack a pleasure to listen to.
Extras are somewhat limited on this disc, but given the length of the film I’m
almost certain that this RSDL (Reverse Spiral Dual Layer) disc has been used to its full
capacity. Included is the appropriately titled 'Walking the Mile', a ten-minute featurette
which offers a few insights into the production, as well as excerpts from various
interviews with the cast and crew, plus author of The Green Mile, Stephen King, who shares
his delight with how well the movie has beend adapted. Michael Clarke Duncan also mentions
how he got the role of John Coffey after Bruce Willis put in a good word for him to
director and co-producer Frank Darabont.
With an engrossing story and superb acting, The Green Mile is a pleasant way to spend
three hours, and to top it off it’s available with an A+ audio-visual presentation on
DVD. "
Ben Hooft
Published: November 30, 2000
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THE GREEN MILE (MA)
(US)
CAST: Tom Hanks, David Morse, Bonnie Hunt, Michael Clarke Duncan, James Cromwell,
Michael Jeter, Graham Greene, Doug Hutchison, Sam Rockwell, Barry Pepper, Jeffrey DeMunn,
Patricia Clarkson, Harry Dean Stanton
DIRECTOR: Frank Darabont
RUNNING TIME: 181 Mins
RRP: $36.95
DVD DISTRIBUTOR: Warner Bros.
DVD RELEASE: September 27, 2000
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Anamorphic Widescreen
Dolby Digital 5.1
Behind-the-Scenes Documentary
Theatrical Trailer
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