ABSTRACT

This chapter examines The Green Mile through Linda Williams' framework, and then expands that framework by taking technique into account, looking specifically at the technical choice of setting and point-of-view. It expands on Toni Morrison's concept by addressing the role of actor choice in enhancing the Africanist presence. Linda Williams posits that the way that race works in films such as The Green Mile can be best understood by examining the role of melodrama within them. Though The Green Mile originally appears as a serialized novel, it "jumps" to the big screen with relative ease. The bulk of The Green Mile takes place in and around depression era Louisiana in the death row wing of a prison. On one level, Williams is clearly able to use the features of melodrama to unpack the meanings behind The Green Mile.