"Get bust living - or get busy dying"

Rating: 10/10 (24 April 2003)

'The Shawshank Redemption' is based heavily upon Stephen King's short story 'Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption' - adapted for screen by Writer/Director Frank Darabont (screenwriter for 'The Fly II' and 'Indiana Jones 4.') Since this film has graced the silver screen, Darabont has also adapted King's 'The Green Mile' and 'The Majestic' with great success. This has truly sparked off a trend of King adaptations such as 'Night Flier,' 'Hearts in Atlantis' and 'Dream Catcher.' In this film an innocent man is wrongly accused of the murder of his wife and her lover, and imprisoned in 'Shawshank Prison' for two life-terms. Within the prison walls (some stronger than others) the enigma unravels as 'Andy Dufresne' (Tim Robbins - 'Arlington Road') meets extraordinary people with the gift of 'seeing hope through the bars,' such as 'Red' (Morgan Freeman - 'Dreamcatcher') who tells Andy to "Get bust living - or get busy dying." Under the harsh conditions in which Andy's love for reading, music and friendship are exploited (sentencing him to the light-devoid 'hole') he uses all his skill and logic to conduct a plan unlike any other - escape and exploit 'Warden Norton' (Bob Gunton - 'Patch Adams') and start living again.
This film is successful due to the simplistic (yet ideal) cinematography, the splendid acting, the real emotion and the fact that Darabont employs many of the same cast his other films ('The Green Mile' and 'The Majestic') - generating a wonderful, intimate atmosphere between the cast. This film seems like a much-loved, family project - rather than a faceless Hollywood production...