A 142 minute sermon on hope.

Rating: 9/10 (31 August 2011)

Hope is a powerful thing. Allow it to poison your mind and it will drive you to insanity; handle it with care and it will guide you to redemption.
The Shawshank Redemption is the story of a man, Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), who has been convicted of a crime he claims he did not commit – the gruesome double-murder of his wife and her secret lover in bed. He is sentenced for two lifetimes at Shawshank State Penitentiary, one for each murder. The lanky, soft-centered Dufresne is soon befriended by Ellis Boyd 'Red' Redding, another lifer, played magnificently by the prolific Morgan Freeman, who is also the narrator of the story.
What we see of Andy is through the eyes of Red. He is like the ocean – calm on the surface, yet seething from within. He isn't shown crying, begging for mercy or slipping into madness despite the fact that he is forever haunted by his past and desire for redemption. The relationship between the two men extends beyond just friendship – they are survivors who need the company of each other to make it through the hell they find themselves in.
But the movie is not just about their friendship or Andy's desire for redemption. The life in prison too has been displayed with remarkable empathy. You feel for Andy as his life is brutally altered forever. You feel for Red as he is repeatedly denied parole despite his immaculate behavior. You feel for the men vilified and ostracized by society who still have humanity left within them.
The performances by the two lead characters, Robbins and Freeman, are splendid. Robbins, in the shoes of Andy, touches you deeply with his soft-spoken, timid nature; but Freeman as Red steals the pie. His portrayal leaves a last impression on you and it is something you carry with you even after the end of the movie. His haunting voice brings life to the narrative as it resonates through the stony prison walls. He carries his character with ease, not once letting his acting look forced or contrived. I wouldn't be hesitant in stating that this is certainly one of his best performances till date – and that's saying of a man who has given breathtaking performances in Se7en, The Bucket List and the Batman series. The other characters too fit their places – the sadistic prison guard (Clancy Brown), the warden with rigid yet corrupt principles (Bob Gunton) and all the other inmates each with a personal life and voice of his own – nothing looks out of place. They work together like cogs of a well-oiled machine, or in this case, a desolate prison.
A feature that strikes you distinctly about the movie is the varying colour palettes. The hue of the film changes with the situation the protagonist finds himself in. They are associated with the mood of the scenario. When hope is bleak, the screen is predominantly grey which conveys a sense of helplessness. In the prison, shades of blue create a claustrophobic environment and overwhelm one with morbidity. At the same time, when Andy is happy, the settings are bright which helps develop an atmosphere of ebullience and joy.
The movie released in the same year as other masterpieces like Pulp Fiction, The Lion King and Forrest Gump. Unfortunately, it missed out on the Oscar to the latter, yet IMDb terms this as the best movie of all times. Despite the greatness of the movie, somehow I beg to differ with that. I believe that there cannot be one best movie of all times. This is a subjective area that varies with person and perception.
Where does hope come into the picture? Everywhere. Just as with Pandora's Box, when evil is overpowering, the only thing that remains is hope. Coupled with clever dialogue and heart wrenching moments, this movie reeks of emotions, out of which hope is the primary one. In the words of Andy Bufresne, 'there's something inside... that they can't get to, that they can't touch. That's yours.' It's hope.