The Shawshank Redemption - Quite Simply The Best Film Ever Made

Since yours truly is a huge movie fan and has seen his fair share of movies, both average, enjoyably good and those horrendous pieces of trash cinema, I felt obligated to review what I consider to be the greatest film I have seen. It seems like I am not alone in this perception, this film got 5 out of 5 stars by you reviewers and it it 2nd only to The Godfather on the IMDB.com best films ever (9.1 of 10). I couldn’t agree more as this movie excels on every level. Superb acting, great storyline, beautiful cinematography, powerful score and one of the most satisfying ending of any movie in history. Here is my take on The Shawshank Redemption:

The Players:

Tim Robbins: Andy Dufresne
Morgan Freeman: Ellis “Red” Redding
Bob Gunton: Warden Norton
Clancy Brown: Byron Hadley
Gil Bellows: Tommy
James Whitmore: Brooks Hatlen

The Play:

Andy Dufresne is a simple married man who works as a banker. One night he catches his wife in the arms of another. To remedy the situation he resorts to heavy drinking and plotting to do something drastic, carrying a handgun and wallowing in sorrow. When his wife and lover get shot and killed, Andy is the Primary suspect and he is convicted of murder and sentenced to back to back life sentences at Shawshank Prison.

There he tries to keep low key and to himself, but as time goes on he feels the need to be needed and respected as a man. He tries to be one of the guys while working and cutting a deal with one of the guards to give his cell mates some beer, and he befriedns Red, a lifelong criminal who killed someone when he was young and foolish, the man who can get any item from the outside for the right price. Red is skeptical about Andy’s ability to survive the system from the beginning, but as their friendship grows bigger he knows Andy is strong minded and can turn this negative experience into a positive.

Andy’s skills as a banker/money man are very intriguing to the Warden. The warden soon uses Andy as the prison banker and financial analyst. He soon does all the books and pension plans of the entire prison. The warden is also involved in a money laundering scheme and he uses the smarts of Andy for much needed work for little reward.

When a new prisoner, Tommy is transferred to Shawshank we find out that he knows the identity of Andy’s spouse and lover’s real killer. Andy tries to use this opportunity to tell the warden for possibility of freedom from Shawshank, but the warden’s greed and need are too great and he takes care of the matter himself, keeping Andy at Shawshank.
After 19 years in prison we see Andy’s desperation and the desire for him to try and escape, despite warnings and advice from his friends to the contrary. Andy’s dream is to enjoy the warm sun of the Mexican coast with his friend Red, a dream that Red considers a fantasy but Andy is determined to fulfill it.

I am not at liberty to discuss any more of the plot as I don’t want to ruin in for those who haven’t seen it, but as mentioned it’s rewarding and liberating, a real joy to watch.

The Storyline and Acting:

I am a big fan of prison dramas and there have been many good ones, Papillon is one of the best, so is Escape from Alcatraz and The Green Mile. Shawshank is a tier above those films because it engrosses the viewer and wraps him/her up in its reality. Prison is a cage and prisoners are all birds, all want just a taste of freedom so they could spread their wings and bask in the beauty of the outside world. We feel sympathetic towards all the main prisoners in the film, Andy for his calm demeanor, Red for his sarcasm and an attempt for a new lease on life, Brooks, the elder statesman who works in the library who feel more secure in the confines of the prison since he feels like it’s his home and the world is a fast paced scary place. This connection to the characters inspires us to sympathize with them, even while knowing they are (almost) all criminals who have committed heinous crimes, we want them to be happy and find their way in this life.

Tim Robins delivers a great portrayal of a man who will not be broken down, a man who slowly will get his revenge for the crimes he did not commit. Very reserved and subdued performance yet and very effective on. Morgan Freeman is perfect as Red, and his narration is superb, low gentle voice narrates the majority of the film and soothes the viewer with effective metaphors and personal depictions. Red is a common man on the inside and realizes there isn’t much hope for him outside those walls, so hope for release is very bleak in his mind, as Andy’s isn’t. Bob Gunton delivers a fierce performance of a warden who must have his way and no man can bring him down, he uses his power to profit from the innocence of Andy and he acts as the preacher of the prison, trying to instill the ways of the bible to help the prisoner’s soul cleansing. James Whitmore in a mesmerizing depiction of an old man with a symbolic little bird who grows up to be a big one, symbolizing every person need to be free and the fear that comes with the unknown outside world. Brooks is a very good hearted man who just wishes to stay with his friend is jail until his dying days. His demeanor is stoic throughout the whole movie except for one scene of madness and besides Andy he is the most liked person in the film.

Cinematography and Sound:

Spectacular complement to the story is the way the prison was shot. Sweeping views of the entire facility, overhead zooming out shots and the use of simple of white color adds to the feeling of emptiness within the confines of the prison. It’s not until late on the movie when we see the deep blue ocean that we realize how bland prison’s existence is and how pretty the outside world is. To accompany the scenery, there is a wonderful score in this film. Never before did only 5 songs in a movie sound so fitting the atmosphere of the location. From old time tracks such as “If I Didn’t Care” to one of the best scenes in the film, Playing an Aria to the whole prison on the speakers, soaring opera voices stops everyone dead in their tracks as they all imagine soaring free like the voices.

Overall: 4.8 of 5