The last three hour movie I watched was Titanic. We had an intermission, where everyone rushed to the toilet. At the end I came out with this massive headache, probably from the concentration. And so I was a little hesitant when I heard that The Green Mile also ran to over three hours.

I was worried for nothing -- the time flew, and we never even had a break. Why? Because the film is so engrossing and moving.

In prisons in the States, they refer to Death Row as "the last mile". In the particular cell block in this film, the block has a green floor, and the block is thus called "the green mile". Hence the title of the movie.

The story picks up with the arrival of a gentle black giant, found guilty of the rape and murder of two young white girls. The incident is set around the 1930s in Southern USA, where racism was rife and blacks frequently got bad justice. It didn't help his case that he was found holding the two dead girls, was physically huge and black, or that he was a simple-minded fellow, seeing life in simplistic and starkly good-or-bad terms.

We follow the story from the point of view of the head of the cell block, played by Tom Hanks. The wardeners are generally surprisingly compassionate, given the nature of the prisoners they deal with daily. There is a jerk of a guard, with a serious inferiority complex and powerful political connections, who causes no end of trouble and heartbreak.

Before long, we become aware that the latest arrival has a unique gift, and as the story progresses, it becomes blindingly obvious that there is no way that this man could have done that which he was accused of. A visit to his defence attorney proves an inconclusive waste of time. It is at this point that one can criticise the film, one would expect the wardener to go to greater lengths to prevent the execution of an innocent man.

As things develop, we get to see how electrocutions are carried out, and what can go wrong. We also witness more of this quiet man's reserved power, which can be used for good and justice.

I won't spoil the rest of the plot for those who have not seen it yet. The performances are uniformly good, the production excellent.

This film ranks as one of the most moving I have seen, and one of the best films I have ever seen. It's my pick for the Best Film Oscar this year, even if some of the American critics did not think it so good. The people come across as really genuine and decent, as opposed to the crazy caricatures and stereotypes in American Beauty.

I wish I had written it myself. Don't miss it.

-- Ian Douglas