The Shawshank Redemption
Time and time again, we look back at past audiences and gafaw at their stupidity. Despite not seeing our own idiocy when it comes to box office smashes (I am still not over Grown Ups 2 getting into our Top Ten for a couple of weeks.) We can all put our hands up and say that we have chosen a mindless money making movie over a dramatic and intense movie. After all, we are only human and sometimes we give in to the guilty pleasures.
But, there is absolutely no excuse to not go and see The Shawshank Redemption on the big screen.
Based on a novel by Stephen King (because he writes much more than cheap horror movies,) The Shawshank Redemption is about a man called Andy Dufresne who is accused of murdering his wife. Adamant that he is innocent, Dufresne faces a cruel life sentence in a prison, with only the knowledge that he is innocent keeping him alive. Meeting an old convict Red, Dufresne must navigate his new life surrounded by inmates and corrupt officers. But Andy has hope and he will soon find out whether that his hope is a dangerous thing and drive him insane. Or maybe that hope is a good thing.
The Shawshank Redemption is a powerful movie. Directed by Frank Darabont and starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, it is an intricate and meaningful portrayal of a man betrayed by the system. With no time to mourn his wife, Dufresne is slammed into, well, the slammer and victimised at every turn. Robbins, although previously criticised for his role, actually pulls this off well. He deftly lines Andy with fear and hope, the glint of innocence in his eye shining through the screen. With the turn of events of the movie and an iconic (goosebumps inducing) scene, Robbins is extraordinary here.
But the voice of The Shawshank Redemption is Morgan Freeman who, in his sultry tones, narrates the movie. He plays Red, the only friend of Andy who has been serving a lengthy sentence. Freeman comes across as many roles of Red; the voice of wisdom, the broken and tired man, regret and amazement. There are different levels that Freeman embodies, become this unforgettable soul.
Alongside a well written script by Niki Marvin, The Shawshank Redemption is an outstanding film. Darabount creates this whole world, utilizing the best iconic scenes from the books and making them echo beautifully into this legendary near perfect movie. He doesn’t villainize all the inmates. In fact, the whole movie humanises; whether they be right or wrong, good or bad, it is a glimpse into lives that we condemn without a thought or make these men monsters. When they aren’t, they are men who have done wrong; the terrible ones becoming scarier at this thought. And while you may not agree with me and while some crimes are unforgiveable, there are lives in there who have been falsely accused; locked away from the outside world.
There is this heartbeat pounding through. It is a marvel to those now that on initial release Shawshank plummeted. But there was always hope…
And as we know now, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things and no good thing ever dies.
TTFN
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