This film is amazing. Just amazing.

Rating: 10/10 (18 August 2013)

First things first, ill admit it. I went in to shawshank with low expectations.I was expecting a two hour bore- fest, a type of godfather/citizen Kane film which as a film fan you MUST watch, and MUST love, and if you don't you just don't get it. But I didn't get that. Not at all.
Within the first half hour, this film got more emotion out of me than most others get throughout their whole running time, all simply from a (ahem) slightly over weight man weeping, calling out for his mother, all while the other prisoners are teasing him in their cells.The first act ofthe film constantly has this dark feel to it, inserting it deep in yourmind that prison is not a nice place. Red, brilliantly played by Morganfreeman, describes andys daily attempted rapes by "the sisters". We are shown a recently set free prisoner killing himself. This first act is hard to watch. Not as in boring, or gory. In fact, I found some of the scenes in this part harder to watch than I found saw. But get through the first act, it sets you up for a second act. A second act of hope. A second act of friendship. A second act of humour. And for the leads, a second act if redemption. The two slowly, through general decency, start to become better people then they were on the outside ( albeit, one getting institutionalised(watch the film or get a dictionary)).
To say best film is a bold statement as a film fan, on the Internet, in a world that has gems such as the godfather, apocalypse now, citizen Kane, goodfellas, Casablanca, the list goes on and on. But what this film does more so than the others is make you feel something, deep down inside of you. A feeling that will stay with you days after you watch it.