The thinking man's prison movie.

Rating: 10/10 (25 April 2007)

This story takes place in prison but that is not to say it is a prison movie, because The Shawshank Redemption is so much more.
In all reality this movie is a story about human nature at it's worst and best. It's about friendship and loss, full of emotion, irony, humor and nostalgia. All wrapped around one hell of a satisfying plot twist and revenge sequence against the story's antagonists you'll probably ever see.
The icing on this scrumptious cake is one hell of a divine original scoring from composer Thomas Newman, the man who scored The Green Mile and American Beauty. It is haunting and often very moving. I realize that for many people one small segment of music in even a great film isn't enough to invoke a desire to watch the entire film. However there is a approximately 10 second segment of the score near the end of the film that will break your heart. You'll know which segment I mean if you see this film and if you're the right kind of person with a good soul, it will move you to tears.
Somehow the movie manages to pull off an epic feel despite the backdrop being prison bars and walls. You really feel you've gone through the years with the two main characters in the film, by the end you really feel for these characters as if they were your friends. Making the end of their journey in this film affect you strongly.
I would call this the best prison movie ever but for the fact that it really isn't a prison movie more than truly magnificent story that happens to take place in prison. This is however one of the best films ever made and I highly recommend it. This movie, especially the last 15 or 20 minutes will stay with you for years to come. It haunts me to this day.