A Powerful Story of Courage, Perseverance and Friendship ...

Rating: 10/10 (6 October 2011)

I will never forget the first time I watched "The Shawshank Redemption", with my father. Both of us were fans of prison and male-bonding movies, and choose the film only expecting to watch a solid drama. Needless to say that, when the last line was delivered and the TV screen painted the walls with a beautiful blue, the feeling that we had just watched something exceptional instantly cut through our hearts, and before the second viewing, we would regularly mention how great that film "with the poster" was.
Then I would never miss it whenever I found it on TV, and after each viewing, it unveiled one unsuspected element of its unique appeal. I guess if it doesn't justify, at least it explains why this movie that didn't do well in the theaters, had a better success on VHS, TV and DVD before it would ultimately dethrone "The Godfather" from the first place on IMDb Top 250. And it's only justice if "The Shawshank Redemption", the least spectacular of the four Best Picture nominees in the glorious 1994, made by a relatively unknown director, a movie with an appeasing and appealing patience, took its time to grow on people and did it pretty well, as if it applied its own philosophy, patiently but determinedly.
This is the strength of "The Shawshank Redemption", its ability to tell a story that spans a long period of time without trying to get to the so-called essential, the simplest things take their full meanings, the smallest details have their share of importance. And think about it, in a prison where everyone wears the same outfits, where the days are regulated by the same routine, all you can do is to make a life out of this routine, make a place, to get closer to your own definition of 'having a life'. And as we penetrate the impressive walls of Shawshank, from the first vertiginous panoramic shot, we're literally submerged by the solemn austerity of the location, conveying a very hostile feel. These characteristics are perfectly incarnated by the figure of the Warden Samuel Norton, who's like the male alter-ego of Nurse Ratched from "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". And the comparison with Forman's film isn't fortuitous as Shawshank intends to domesticate its occupants to the same limits of mechanical alienation, to the point that the only thing left to the inmates is to control their only valuable treasure: time, by getting busy, finding their own reason-to-be, like the veteran Brooks (James Whitmore) was the man with the books, Red, remarkably played by Morgan Freeman, was the man who could get you things.
In a very intelligent move from the script, the hero of the film, the laconic Andy Dufresne, an upper-class banker, played in all nuance by Tim Robbins, is condemned to a life sentence at Shawshank, for the murder of his wife and her lover. And nothing indicates if he is innocent or guilty and I wondered if any certitude would have conditioned my appreciation of the character. I think it was necessary for us to have a reasonable doubt about his innocence in order to let his character progressively grow on us until we believe by ourselves that he was indeed the victim of unfortunate circumstances, the same feeling that grew in the heart of Red before becoming his best friend. Morgan Freeman is the pillar of the film while Tim Robbins is its free spirit, both allow us in a remarkable complementarity to dream of abstract notions like hope and freedom while being practical and 'busy' in the same time. And again, their friendship is a slow process that takes its time to progress and reaches a pivotal point when Andy was allowed to put his banker's casket again and feels that prison didn't deprive him from his 'social quality'. Shawshank is not slow but more a patience-demanding film with a sense of decency in the way it trusts our intelligence.
And the film's motto, on which relies its philosophical core is "Get busy living or get busy dying". Now, two things occur to me while writing these lines, a heart-breaking sequence about the inmate Brooks who was freed after 50 years of detention, and who realized he was institutionalized. A notion explained by Red: when the infamous wall that scared you so much becomes your personal guiding light while outside, it's all dark and your time is deconstructed. Brooks couldn't live outside Shawshank so there was no other way he could live. The second thing is the sad passing of Steve Jobs today. And as I was reading his famous Stanford speech, I couldn't help but make a connection with the beautiful message of Darabont's film, an invitation to dream, to escape from any sort of walls or obstacles put in your life and heart with as many dreams as you can fulfill, a notion illustrated by the beautiful scene when Andy put some classical music on the microphone, so the prisoners could for once elevate themselves and having an ephemeral moment of pure freedom, this is the triumph of human spirit, this understanding of the value of life is "The Shawshank Redemption"
In the same vein than "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", "Shawshank" is a constant encouragement to fight the system and use time for the best, for whatever constitutes our dreams, being men again, able to enjoy, to feel, to give a meaning to our lives. In other words, hope, hope that things can get better despite the adversity. To quote Steve Jobs : "Courage is the discovery that you may not win, and trying when you know you can lose." This is the true intelligence of life, what makes it worth living.
"The Shawshank Redemption" a powerful adaptation of Stephen King's novel is one of the greatest American films: a powerful story of courage, perseverance, hope and ultimately, friendship and humanity.