Not so much a movie as a work of art.

Rating: 10/10 (25 January 2010)

Acted out perfectly by every cast member, under the watchful eye of Frank Darabont, the story of a man who brings hope to the grey walls of Shawshank prison becomes so much more than a prison movie. The first time I ever saw "The Shawshank Redemption", I knew nothing about it, and was utterly unprepared for it's effect. Within the first ten minutes, I was utterly drawn in, unable to pull my eyes away from the screen. By the end of the first hour, I couldn't even think about pausing or stopping this film. I spent the last fifteen minutes crying my eyes out at the sheer emotion in those minutes. Morgan Freeman out-does his every role previous and every role since as Red, while Tim Robbins, quiet and intense, leads the cast as Andy. This film been regarded for more than fifteen years as one of the greatest to ever emerge from cinema. It is a story of corruption, and of justice. A story of imprisonment and of freedom. A story of despair and of hope. More even, than all of that, "Shawshank" is a story of humanity, and one that will stay with whomever watches it for a very, very, long time.