Written by: Frank Darabont
Starring: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, William Sadler, Clancy Brown, Gil Bellows
Rating: [4.5/5]
A distinct category of films exists that serves as a source of inspiration whenever you need a lift. The type of movie where when you see it’s playing you watch it from whichever point you find it and finish it. The Shawshank Redemption distinctly existed within this category since its release in 1994 and to this day still holds the same power.
Ordered to serve a double-life sentence for a crime he insists he did not commit, Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) makes friends with fellow inmate Red (Morgan Freeman). While trying to navigate the rules of the prison he deals with his fair share of issues, but begins to utilize his skills to save his own life with the hope of someday seeing life beyond those bars.
The persistent love The Shawshank Redemption has maintained since its release can be attributed to various reasons, but one of them is certainly its easy rewatchability. For a feature delving into some particularly dark elements including the sexual assault Andy experiences by a group of men, this movie’s inspirational themes allow for a strong rewatachability factor. One of those films you put in front of anyone and they would enjoy the themes it carries and the emotional impact of what occurs throughout the feature. This film carries that distinct power. It also certainly helps when you have such an extraordinary friendship at the center with Andy and Red.
Echoing throughout the entire feature we have Red’s voice telling us the information we need to know as if he’s recounting the story of Andy to us. This voiceover performance by Morgan Freeman definitely proved all of the greatness he can elicit by just using his voice as we’ll see utilized in documentaries and commercials later in his life. His famously soothing voice guides us through the experience of Andy and Red through the sheer injustice the cellmates experience at this particular prison at the hands of the warden, Samuel Norton (Bob Gunton). You can assume most prisons have some share of corruption within them but Norton goes as far as exploiting the labor of these prisoners as well as laundering the money. He’d make the regular prison warden blush with the amount of gall he possesses.
This particular corruption lies firmly in the blatant hypocrisy of the warden in the way he grounds his rule over the prisoners as focused on Christian beliefs claiming all of the inmates will learn about the bible. It interweaves the idea of law and order while mixing it with Christian ideals as if the inmates need the latter in order to respect the former. Very absurd to state especially as the warden goes ahead and defies laws for his benefit.
Knowing the corruption on display sets the foundation of what Andy must contend with throughout the feature as his ability no navigate the world of finance becomes his saving grace with these men brutally assaulting him on a regular basis. It demonstrates the level of value he needs to display in order to have a level of protection every prisoner should inherently have when imprisoned. It demonstrates the different rules that exist in this new ecosystem and one Andy better learn to navigate if he hopes to survive.
Frank Darabont not only directed this feature but also adapted the famous Stephen King novella to bring it to the big screen. For a filmmaker who has made a sparse amount of films with most of them carrying emotional heft and carrying a healthy amount of supporters, he’s only directed four feature films. He certainly has work in other areas including writing other films and directing television, but his short filmography does surprise considering the fantastic work he manages to do here. He takes the heart of King’s story and lays it all out to show this tremendous journey Andy’s character goes through from beginning to end. The enduring message about hope even in the darkest times hit the nail right on the head and the end result of the feature stands as an undisputed success. It’s great to see him in the director’s chair again for a film because the man sure knows how to put together a fantastic feature.
Darabont also had the help of an elite crew around him including Roger Deakins on cinematography, who unsurprisingly delivers stellar work again. His mastery of the medium appears not only in the iconic scenes of the feature which include the scene in the rain or the finale, but also in the lighting utilized in the prison to accentuate each scene. The visuals get brilliantly accompanied by a wonderful score by Thomas Newman as well, who still seeks to capture once again what he accomplishes here.
For all of the praise The Shawshank Redemption has received throughout its existence the biggest one it could receive from me is the universality of its message and how it can be enjoyed. If someone asked me which film I could put on and pretty much guarantee whoever watches it will enjoy it, this feature sits right at the top of the list. This certainly does not make it the best movie ever, but one everyone can take something out of because everyone has hope, but not all can sustain it. Andy’s journey demonstrates this unwillingness to let go of this hope making for something that many will continue to watch and adore for good reason.
Films with Josh 
