Shawshank never won best pictureÂ… one of the greatest crimes at the Oscars in History

Rating: 10/10 (6 August 2009)

I was literally HOOKED. No wonder this film is rated amongst the best ever. This is definitely one of the best movies you will see your entire life. Morgan Freeman's narration was awesome. Tim Robbins powerfully illustrates the importance of HOPE. All the characters did a superb job. This is surely one of my all time favourite movies. Its a classic & a true masterpiece of cinema... Don't think! Just watch & savour it.
I saw the following comment by someone and thought of adding it to mine, I agree 100% to everything of the following: "Many people in this world are unhappy. Most people in this world don't want to be unhappy. Lots of people wish, pray and above all hope for that magic wand to wave and wash them of their fears, losses, angers and pains once and for all. They see lots of other people seemingly in this magical state, while they suffer. To borrow the words of another film, they're watching the bluebirds flying over the rainbow. Many unhappy people have learned that the magic wand doesn't exist. They're not destined to join the bluebirds and fairy tales don't come true. It's not that no one lives happily ever after, it's just that they're not going to. They're busy dying.
In this film, or as some people have quite correctly said, this fairytale, magic wands exist. And that magic wand is Andy Dufrense imitating Houdini. However this film is not about him. Neither is it about the prison, the governor, the guard, the plot, the acting, the cinematography, the script, the direction or the score. It's about Red. He is the one who has become institutionally unhappy, he's not only trapped in a prison, not only has he given up on the idea of ever leaving, not only does he have no hope, he knows that if the miracle would ever happen to him, he couldn't cope. He's safe in his unhappiness and that security is what keeps him going. Hope is, as Red say, dangerous. The metaphor for a certain illness here is very clear to me and I know that a rather large number of people suffer from it. A large proportion of those don't understand what's wrong, but they certainly can recognise a fellow sufferer. Those who are mercifully untouched by this illness definitely don't understand what's going on in those who do. They're too busy living."
Just a little piece of advice to everyone who hated/disliked this film; Believe me this film is made for multiple viewings...Don't hate this after viewing it once or twice, give it at least more than 2 viewings before you make up your mind. I'm POSITIVE it will become more and more better after each viewing and probably you will end up loving it. If not, maybe it was just not your Cup Of Tea. I hope this film satisfies everyone and I really don't care if its No.1 on the IMDb or outside Top250. Its not fair to hate a film because your favourite is not above it in the rankings!
Its a deeply satisfying movie that makes you understand the importance of HOPE.
9.8/10
P.S. Technically{all round film-making} it may not be the greatest movie of all-time{that honor can go to Godfather/LOTR:ROTK/Star Wars 4,etc.} BUT it certainly goes down in my book as one of the finest and a movie to savour for ages.