Not in vain on the first place

Rating: 10/10 (3 May 2016)

One of the best themes for motivational movies ever chosen and one of the few movies that you see and understand differently every time you watch it again. It's easy to forget how much of a slow-burning success Shawshank was. Despite favourable reviews and its many nominations, the film barely broke even on first release. It was only with the VHS release that word began to spread like wildfire, so that by the turn of the century it had garnered a reputation as a modern American great. In an age where films are dead in the water if they don't perform on opening weekend, it is hard to imagine a situation in which another Shawshank could emerge.