Powerful and compassionate

Rating: 9/10 (29 August 1999)

I don't think this film is the number one of all time. But than, it might be. I placed Casblanca and The Godfather higher because they haven't dated. Let's see how well the Shawshank Redemption does in twenty years.
That said, this movie is a staggering experience. While I didn't experience it in theatres, I was impressed by the cinematography. The performances are uniformly flawless. I can't believe that Hawthorne beat out Robbins to a nomination. The direction and story also make this magnificent. But what makes it moving, is it's theme. In the end, it's about hope. Not an 'action' quality, but an important one. It doesn't preach, but teaches. The music score still haunts me.
I rank it as number one of 1994, and one of the best of the decade.