The Philosophical Depth is Deep

Rating: 10/10 (26 October 2017)

This film really has the philosophical hat on its head - especially that of Existentialism. It explores beautifully the idea that we make our own meaning in this world, and that being given an essence by others - the prison, jailers, and the satanic warden in this case - really deprives us of basically what makes us human, our ability to make choices. Andy's escape can be seen as a metaphor for the acceptance of existentialism and of making your own choices - using one's radical freedom as Jean Paul Satre would put it. While Red serves as a loose representative of the idea of essentialism. I feel ambivalent about the famous quote from this film which goes, "Remember Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies." I am not sure I agree. But in my own way, I can see the idea behind it. Hoping is a sure cause for suffering, and mastering that suffering - as Friedrich Nietzsche would say - is the roadway to happiness. The people who can't endure this suffering may not be all that admirable - Red, for instance. It is maybe Andy's endurance and mastering of his suffering that makes him admirable and compelling as a protagonist. The redemption in the title is symbolic of the release of inauthentic and externally imposed meaning, and the act of embracing authentic meaning. In short, this film is one of those films that get you thinking about life; it has all the entertainment, symbolism, and Philosophical depths that you could need to make the most of your time. It's definitely worth it!