No.071　《The Green Mile》　绿里奇迹　别忘了怜悯与宽恕

英文导读

The Green Mile is a 1999 American drama film directed by Frank Darabont. The film is told in a flashback format and stars Tom Hanks as Paul Edgecomb and Michael Clarke Duncan as John Coffey with supporting roles by David Morse, Bonnie Hunt, and James Cromwell. The film tells the story of Paul's life as a death row corrections officer during the Great Depression in the United States, and the supernatural events he witnessed.

Director Frank Darabont, who made an acclaimed feature film debut with The Shawshank Redemption (1994), based on a Stephen King novel set in a prison, returns for a second feature, based on King's 1996 serialized novel set in a prison. In 1935, inmates at the Cold Mountain Correctional Facility call Death Row"The Green Mile" because of the dark green linoleum that tiles the floor. Paul Edgecomb (Tom Hanks) is the head guard on the Green Mile when a new inmate is brought into his custody: John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan), convicted of the sadistic murder of two young girls. Despite his size and the fearsome crimes for which he's serving time, Coffey seems to be a kind and well-mannered person who behaves more like an innocent child than a hardened criminal. Soon Edgecomb and two of his fellow guards, Howell (David Morse) and Stanton Barry Pepper), notice something odd about Coffey: he's able to perform what seem to be miracles of healing among his fellow inmates, leading them to wonder just what sort of person he could be, and if he could have committed the crimes with which he was charged. The Green Mile also stars James Cromwell as the warden; Michael Jeter, Sam Rockwell, and Graham Greene as inmates awaiting dates with the electric chair; and Harry Dean Stanton as a clever trustee.

The film was shot at Warner Hollywood Studios, West Hollywood, California, and on location in Shelbyville, Tennessee and Blowing Rock, North Carolina.

The film received positive reviews from critics with an 80% "Certified Fresh" approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Roger Ebert gave the film 3 and a half stars out of four, writing "The film is a shade over three hours long. I appreciated the extra time, which allows us to feel the passage of prison months and years." Forbes commentator Dawn Mendez referred to the character of John Coffey as a "magic Negro' figure"—a term coined by Spike Lee to describe a stereotypical fictional black person depicted in a fictional work as a "saintly, nonthreatening" person whose purpose in life is to solve a problem for or otherwise further the happiness of a white person.

The film was nominated for four Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actor for Michael Clarke Duncan, Best Picture, Best Sound, and Best Adapted Screenplay.

获奖情况

2000年第72届奥斯卡：最佳影片提名、最佳男配角提名、最佳改编剧本提名、最佳音响提名。

影片信息

导演：弗兰克·德拉邦特

编剧：弗兰克·德拉邦特、史蒂芬·金

主演：汤姆·汉克斯、大卫·摩斯、迈克·克拉克·邓肯、詹姆斯·克伦威尔

类型：剧情、悬疑、犯罪、奇幻

制片国家（地区）：美国

上映日期：1999-12-06（美国）

片长：189分钟

又名：《绿色奇迹》《绿色英里》《绿里》《绿地》

剧情简介

1935年，在美国南部惨淡肃杀的冷山监狱，有个编号为E区的监舍，因为地板是绿色的，别人叫它“绿里”。保罗（汤姆·汉克斯　饰）就是这里的狱长，负责看守死牢。

“绿里”里面住的全是死囚，在监舍的另一头，是行刑用的电椅。对于走过“绿里”继而在电椅上惨叫毙命的死囚行刑程序，他已无动于衷。在这个监狱中，除了保罗及其爱妻简之外，“绿里”上还有正直的副狱监豪威尔，有施虐倾向的狱吏佩西、喜用宠物鼠逗狱吏和诸“难友”取乐的德拉克、连环杀人狂威廉，负疚深重的犯人彼特，以及州长海尔和他身患绝症的妻子美琳达等形形色色的人们。

不过，神秘的约翰·科菲的到来改变了这里的一切。他相貌恐怖，体形硕大，但实际上并不像想象中那样凶残。相反，他出奇的温厚和机智。他的身上有一种神秘的力量，让人不自觉地对他产生信任感。他来到这里，不仅治好了保罗的尿道炎，还救活了美琳达，并且将金保斯从死神手中拉了回来……

保罗发现，约翰就像是上帝派来拯救灵魂的天使，代人受过。但真情无法取代法律，约翰最终还是需要走过“绿里”。在这个外表粗鲁的男人即将赴死的刹那，“绿里”中的人们以不同以往的形式，实现了各自生命的重要跨越。

制作花絮

片中约翰·科菲的姓名源自一位在波士顿爱默生学院教授历史的讲师，编剧史蒂芬·金非常喜欢他的名字，于是用在了小说中。

事实上，大卫·摩斯与迈克·克拉克·邓肯身高相差不到1英寸，是取景角度造成两人身高相差悬殊。

在影片故事发生的年代，狱警没有统一的制服。

为了让帕西的角色更令人厌恶，剧组让道格·休切逊穿上了一双声音格外响亮的皮鞋。

是布鲁斯·威利斯推荐迈克·克拉克·邓肯扮演约翰·科菲。

在拍摄约翰抓住保罗的裆部时，迈克·克拉克·邓肯感到很尴尬，于是汉克斯离开了一阵又返回继续拍摄时，邓肯发现汉克斯在裤子里放进了一只空水瓶，以减轻他的不适。

重点学习

Paul Edgecomb (Tom Hanks) is the head guard on the Green Mile when a new inmate is brought into his custody

文中的bring into是英语中的一个固定搭配，在文中是“带进；拿进；领进”的意思，比如：Will you bring that book into my office?（你把那本书拿到我办公室来，好吗？）另外，它还能表达“使进入某种状态；使卷入，加进来”的意思，比如：Appreciate what others bring into your life and how they help shape your life.（感激别人为你生活所带来的一切以及如何帮助你塑造自己的生活。）

Which allows us to feel the passage of prison months and years

文中allow是“允许”的意思，它有几种常用句型：1）allow sb. to do sth.该句型是“允许某人做某事”的意思。比如：Allow me to introduce you to our headmaster.（请允许我介绍你见见我们的校长。）2）allow (doing) sth.该句型是“允许（做）某事”的意思，比如：We don' t allow eating in the classrooms. （我们不允许在教室吃饭。）3）allow sb. sth.该句型是“给予某人某物（尤指钱或时间）；让某人有（拥有或带有）某物”的意思，比如：He allows his son too much money. （他给他儿子的很多钱。）

单词时间

inmate[ˈinmeit] n. 居民；同住者

linoleum[liˈnəuliəm] n. 油布；油毯；漆布

convict[kənˈvikt] vt. 证明…有罪；宣告…有罪

sadistic[sæˈdistik] adj. 虐待狂的；残酷成性的

fearsome[ˈfiəsəm] adj. 可怕的；害怕的；极大的

well-mannered[ˈwelˈmænəd] adj. 有礼貌的；行为端正的；文雅的

hardened[ˈhɑ:dənd] adj. 变硬的；坚定的

warden[ˈwɔ:dən] n. 区长；看守人；典狱官；学监

trustee[ˌtrʌsˈti:] n. 受托人；托管人

stereotypical[ˌsteriəˈtipikl] adj. 老一套的；陈规的

saintly[ˈseintli] adj. 圣洁的