This film acts like a commentary on prison life for long term prisoners, but its real theme is one of hope.

Rating: 10/10 (23 September 2013)

A Review of The Shawshank Redemption
This film acts like a commentary on prison life for long term prisoners, but its real theme is one of hope. It draws us in quickly with the drama of a cheating wife and the actions of a scorned husband. However, what really brings us in are the deep soothing tones of Morgan Freeman's (Driving Miss Daisy, Unforgiven) voice-over as Ellis Boyd "Red" Redding speaking about his insights into Andy Dufresne.
Andy Dufresne is the scorned husband, played by Tim Robbins (Bull Durham, Mystic River), who is accused and convicted of murder even though the evidence is circumstantial and he maintains his innocence. He spends the next twenty years at Shawshank State Prison where he meets Red. Red is one of the guys in the prison who has a way of getting anything one might want smuggled into the prison. One of the first things that Red notices about Andy is that he conducts himself as a free man who is unaffected by the surrounding prison. Andy has difficulty at first as he falls prey to a group of inmates called "the sisters" and referred to as bull queers. This goes on until Andy shows his worth as banker to the lead guard, Captain Hadley played by Clancy Brown (Highlander, Starship Troopers). Hadley provided Andy's inmates with beer in exchange for Andy's services. The beer made the inmates feel like free men again and Andy's services got him noticed by the warden. The warden, played by Bob Gunton (Patch Adams, Evita), provided Andy with protection from the "sisters", allowed him to fix-up the library, and allowed him to help some inmates earn their high school diplomas in exchange for Andy's help with laundering money that proceeded from the warden's many schemes. So, we are presented with a bleak situation that is reinforced by dirty sets and mostly gray and blue colors. The make-up used to age the actors gradually over twenty years, combined with the acting, work together to make us believe that all of this could happen and is real. We are made to feel sorry for these inmates most of whom are suffering the consequences of their own horrible crimes. And, as if doing the dirty work of the self-righteous who stand in judgment over Andy isn't enough, the warden has the one person who can get Andy out of prison executed. In spite of all of this Andy maintains a hope for the future that "they" can't touch. The Shawshank Redemption is a really good film that leaves the viewer with a feeling of triumph and a life lesson that goes beyond prison walls.