Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things. And no good thing ever dies.

Rating: 10/10 (1 January 2014)

Shawshank is unique in the genre and unlocked a new potential for movie makers to break the inherent confines of a prison picture. So why is Shawshank so popular and tops many best movie lists? Not hard to figure out. The entertainment value is high and our empathy is heightened for Andy and Red. It is deeper than most films; about continuity in a lifetime, based on friendship and hope. Interesting that although the hero of the film is the convicted former banker Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), the action is never seen from his point of view. We move, permanently, to a point of view representing the prison population and particularly Ellis 'Red' Redding (Morgan Freeman). From Andy's arrival on the prison bus to the film's end, we see only how others see him - Red, who becomes his best friend, Brooks the old librarian, the corrupt Warden Norton, guards and prisoners. Red is our surrogate. He's the one we identify with, and the redemption, when it comes, is Red's. We've been shown by Andy's example that you have to keep true to yourself, not lose hope, bide your time, set a quiet example and look for your chance. "I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really," he tells Red. "Get busy livin' or get busy dyin'."