The Green Mile movie review and various other thoughts

It was a brutal day at work today. I was on shift doing my rounds as security guard at Escondido Charter High School and was stuck outside for most of the day. The temperature winded its way on up to 96 degrees F. Thankfully, a friend and coworker pointed out to me that the weather report said it only felt like it was 91! What great news! The slight breeze that the weather report must have been citing for its "chill factor" made it feel like I was not only in a furnace, but in a blow dryer as well. Another coworker tried to cheer me up by offering to have his students fry eggs on the cars in the parking lot. I believe an ice cold beer would have made a better offering.

After driving home in a pool of my own sweat I managed to slide out of my car and crawl to the front door; the only evidence of my arrival being a cloud of dust that erupted from my parched throat when I coughed out the frog that would not stop croaking every time I tried to speak. I recovered only by the liberal application of cool libations to my crusted body and a long nap finally interrupted by the cruel ringing of my cell phone at around 7:00 pm mountain standard time. I am unable to recall who rang but will hopefully have my phone repaired soon so that I may check.


Unwilling to go back to sleep, I turned the telly on and saw that one of my all time favorite movies was playing on FX. I was surprised by that because, generally speaking, I think the station should change its initials to ZZ(zzzzz). Anything else on that station and I would have been sawing logs all over again.

The rush of static and zinging noise that brings a CRT to life opened onto one of the most intense segments of "The Green Mile." The miracle worker and falsely accused killer, John Coffey, was in prison with William "Wild Bill" Wharton (a singularly evil being); Percy Wetmore, the belittling and depraved keeper, was on the prowl for easy blood; the simple and repentant Cajun, Eduard Delacroix, was keeping to his pet mouse and was soon to "ride the lighting"; Paul Edgecomb, the warden, was working to hold together a system of justice that could be brutally wrong in its execution of justice.

Delacroix is enjoying one of his last conversations on the earth with wardens Edgecomb and Howell while his mouse is playing with the wooden spool on which thread is packaged. His last concern is the ownership and care of his mouse so Edgecomb and Howell spin a yarn about a mouse carnival in Florida where the little guy can perform tricks and be well-cared after. While gently discussing the care of Delacroix's beloved mouse, the creature runs out onto the green mile (central corridor) and is stomped under the vile boot of Percy Wetmore who states only that he knew he would get him eventually.

The anguished cry that pours from the soul of Delacroix is simple to understand: Death was looming before his eyes and the last measure of joy in his life had just been crushed. Wetmore, a man who delighted in destroying what was good had won an evil victory in ruining Delacroix's spirit. At this point, Coffey urgently beckons for Edgecomb to place the dead mouse in his hands and, for the sake of all that is good, resurrects it back to life and denies Wetmore his wicked triumph. Be forewarned that I mean to describe how I see the beauty of Christ in all of this.

The scene described is amazingly powerful because it reflects the desire of the human heart to see justice done. Yet, justice is ultimately impossible for creatures of flesh and blood. The throbbing wounds and open cuts dealt by the hand of the evildoer remain even when the perpetrator is held accountable before the law. Even when the wounds for the victim heal over there is oftentimes a deep scar. Thus, we see that the law has no ability to save and maintain life. All it does is point to the failures of those who come before it and punish them. The life giving ingredient that is missing from the law is mercy which cannot be given arbitrarily lest justice be ignored.

Nothing of flesh and blood can stand clean before the law and that is why the gift of life that Coffey gives is one of mercy and compassion. He resurrects Delecroix's mouse to show compassion towards a fellow man who was condemned under the law and about to be put to death. He resurrected hope by giving life. Did not Christ do the same thing when, in His miracles He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind and raised the dead from the grave? In this respect, Coffey is a Christ-figure in this movie.

Whereas the natural man, like Wetmore, is condemned before the law because of a desire to withhold justice and steal from others what is good, the supernatural and supremely innocent man (or man of the Spirit whom Coffey represents) is justified before the law because of a desire to restore life and love. Coffey does this willingly through his own suffering when he sucks the sickness and death out of the infirmed and pulls it into himself. He renews life, hope, love, joy and peace through his compassionate gift. Thus, in a sense, absolution is found for those whom Coffey heals when he hides their sickness within his own frame and suffers for it.

Christ does the same for those who love Him. The ability to give life is the most powerful force in the universe and when Christ takes the condemnation of those who fail the test of the law and buries it in His own body, the One who must judge that wickedness now finds no fault in the one from whom it was removed. In fact, the fault now lies with the one who holds it (Christ) and He suffered the blame.

We can see a type of the injustice of Christ's guilt when Coffey willingly suffers death by electricity. Yet, that death is only for himself, so that he might escape the pain that he holds within and the suffering that he sees "all around." How much more unjust was it that Jesus, who died willingly as well, should die a death on the cross to save us because of the pain that we suffer through? This is how God's mercy triumphs over law's judgment. Read John 17 if you wish to investigate for yourself. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%2017&version=NIV

The deep truths I am trying to convey in this writing are thus given:

1) Without grace and mercy everything we gain in this life will be lost.

"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart." Job 1:21

"...the wise man, like the fool, will not be long remembered; in days to come both will be forgotten. Like the fool, the wise man too must die!" Ecclesiastes 2:16

2) Death and wickedness are thieves and an offense that God has overcome.

"When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:54-57

3) God restores life and love in a state uncorrupted and beautiful.

"Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Revelation 21:3-4