A more spherical attitude towards this excellent movie

Rating: 10/10 (20 June 2001)

It is a movie that focuses on principals and fundamental values of humans beings, such as freedom. It is a movie about dreams, and how to achieve them. About how someone can be a free man while prisoned. About how someone can be a prisoner, while living in open space. Indicating that you must first change yourself internally to what you want to become and then gradually achieve it. Difficulties are to come but nothing hurts unless you get your eyes off your dream.
Institutionalization, is something that many people have been infected with, but they seem not to be able to understand it. You don't have to be in a prison to get institutionalised. Look around you and you will see a race of slaves fighting every day to defend their slavery.
Watch the "MATRIX" and don't focus on the fighting scenes, but on the meanings spoken out by Morpheas during the first part of the movie. You will then notice the similarities between the two movies, both concentrating on freedom from a slightly different view angle.
All the above are wooven around a firm and perfect cinematographic structure of excellent performances, brilliant shooting and atmosphere.
If art is to cultivate people, meaning the focusing of people on principles and fundamental values, then "The Shawshank Redemption" is sure one of the best tools to fulfill this task.
To me it is one of the few movies that justify the existance of film making. Without such movies cinema would have been a mean of erosion of human personalities.
I have seen this movie 7 times and i keep watching it to remind me of things that everyday routine makes you forget. Things that give happiness to your soul, not your mind. Things that set worthwhile goals for someone. I believe that everyone needs such tools to help him go after his godgiven rights which are neglected everyday due to the soul devastating slavery, our minds put us through. I can honestly say that this movie is the tool for me.
Sure nobody is perfect and someone may point out weaknesses of this film. But he is just missing the forest focusing on the first bush he comes across. What a waste of an opportunity.
I hope that other people like this film and may get something good out of it. I am sure this film won't fit with everyone because everyone is different. But it will always be one of the best film i have ever seen.