its just okay

Rating: Null/10 (16 November 2004)

Like picasso,chaplin and the beatles the sycophantic veneration of this "icon" is a complete mystery.Its a decent film - but it certainly isn't a great one,its no better than escape from alcatraz,brubaker,i escaped from a chain gang, but that doesn't matter to the cinematic lemmings vainly looking for prestige and kudos about a run of the mill film glorified by movie luvvies.Even trailer park trash have got in on the act" my favorik filum iz da shawshank regemshun". -thats when i knew the farcical proportions of overrated glorification this film had reached.Its supposed to be about "liberation,emancipation....blah blah you know the usual poncey guff thats trotted out for meaningless symbolism and metaphor.Luvvies love a movie voice over commentary,aka scorcese - why ,who knows?.But the film does have a potent manipulative power - which was also used by another weakish film -the shining, and that is the pathos laden empowering music score- this is what so brilliantly fools gullible viewers sadly.In the final analysis how can a film be great when it contains a ridiculous scene of a prisoner(robbins) immobilising a whole prison full of violent incarcerated males by playing opera- and yet he doesn't even receive a rightly deserved mother of all beatings