a superb and moving film.

Rating: 10/10 (31 October 2007)

I stopped to see Shawshank when I was driving through Cincinnati. The theater was speckled with moviegoers.. all unaware of what an incredible cinematic achievement they were about to witness. There wasn't the slightest sound from the audience....they were mesmerized. The Jail(was in Mansield,Oh./now torn down), the music, the fantastic performances from a slew of great actors, Whitmore as Brooks, Robbins as Andy Dufresne, and Morgan Freeman as Red,..they all did a spectacular job. This is a film(one of the few)...that will leave it's audience in tears of happiness. The narration from Freeman is written with care and this film is crafted and paced with a precision that Hollywood hasn't seen in a long, long, time. "I hope to see the Pacific...I hope it is as blue as it is in my dreams". This film addresses many moral trust issues....from being raped in jail, to finding a friend amongst criminals, to being unjustly incarcerated and then shunned when you prove your innocence.."how could you be so obtuse?".....in the end it is the simplest thing, friendship, that is synonymous with freedom. This was the last time I was in a theater that cheered at the credits....and the only time an audience...so small in numbers...ever did that. One of my top 5 favorite films of all-time. 98/100