Where The Demons Are More Metaphoric Than Figurative

Rating: 10/10 (25 December 2018)

Under the authorship of the horror king Stephen King, "The Shawshank Redemption" explores demons, but not the ones that that come at you at stab you with their pitchforks, no these demons are the ones that's hidden in you and finding ways to release them from your soul till eternity. Like his other masterpiece "Stand By Me", this is not the traditional horror fest that made King a cultural icon. Instead we have an old-school structured prison drama about two life-sentenced convicts who embark on a quest to break free from the isolation of prison to become free or die trying, whichever comes first.
Located in the unforgiving atmosphere of the Shawshank prison cells with prisoners coming in by the dozens, the prison walls is just as much of scary place lie the Overlook Hotel only with chains and creaking walls to accompany every unsettling minute that comes about in this place that makes hell look like a tropical paradise. For more added effect, there's a raven that makes his home there and even has a name, Jake who's under the eyes of aging ex-murderer Brooks (James Whitmore) who works as the prison librarian. A lot of the cliches of prison life pays homage to the old-school prison camps with familiar characters like the Bible-preaching tyrant Warden (Bob Gunton) and a no-nonsense, short-tempered prison guard Captain Hadley (Clancy Brown).
Starting his career directing B-movies (The Fly II) and forgettable TV movies like "Buried Alive", this was Frank Darabont's chance to show that he can direct films of a similar calibre like Spielberg or Scorsese by taking a rather old format approach to this prison story to make something refreshingly provocative and authentic at the same time. While observing the hell that is prison life with power-abusive guards, hypocritical Bible-thumping wardens and prison food that comes with a side of maggots, this story could explain things better than King's novella in changing the way we look at things and thank the creator for giving us the freedom we have as we speak.
The main emphasis of "The Shawshank Redemption" is on the progressive friendship involving two prisoners of a large age gap, the former banker tuned convicted wrongfully accused murderer Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) and regretful veteran prisoner Ellis " Red" Redding (Morgan Freeman). The opening scenes take place in 1947 as Dufresne was found guilty of murdering his wife and her lover and while he's trying to prove he is innocent of all convictions, there is evidence his footprints were at the scene and his irresponsible ways come to full effect as his hands were on the weapon. Andy was sentenced to life in jail where he'll like spend his years in Maine's unforgiving threshold of hell itself, The Shawshank prison. With a hobby that includes, reading, chess and rock-carving and his vast knowledge of finance and commerce, Andy is still a loner and therefore 30 year veteran prisoner Red starts to befriend him.
Andy is not some incarcerated imbecile his powerful education and know-how has managed to turn his life for the better. When Captain Hadley was lamenting about tax collectors confiscating most of his inheritance money, Mr. Dufresne makes a negotiation of how Hadley can keep his full inheritance under the condition that they all get three free cold beers after working in the sun all day tarring the foundations on the roof.
His knowledge in finance and investments soon begin to change the landscapes of prison life for not only his prison inmates, but for those those hard-nosed people who run the prison system. For the guards he's now filing their taxes while for his inmates he's earned enough money to transform a spider-web infested rundown library into a bigger facility for the inmates to take advantage of. And sure this was done in six years, Andy has become a symbol of perseverance.
It's strange that we can watch a movie and be sympathetic to a convicted murderer but his message of determination makes us really care for him and hope that he'll be released anytime soon. That feeling of determination is passed down to friend Red who fears he'll suffer the same fate that Brooks did after being 50 years imprisoned only to lead him to suicide because he felt like a nobody in the real world with no friends or family.
In return, Red's offering is the power of clemency. Where Andy fully explains what really happened the night when his wife was killed. He confesses that he does take some responsibility for his wife's death and his asking for forgiveness is that turning point to this very well acted and directed movie.
Though sadly snubbed by the Oscars, Tim Robbins' Andy Dufresne evolves from a convicted killer ex-banker to a warm highly-respectable friend. Morgan Freeman gives a warm performance as a veteran prisoner who finds the power of optimism and his narration comes across as purposeful than self-serving like other films he's narrated.
In the end, "The Shawshank Redemption" will likely fill your heads into thanking those around you that you have more freedom than you think in the outside world that should never be taken for granted. It also gives us the feeling that serving time is not the end of the line and no matter where you are if you serve your time wisely you might get rewarded in the long run and that we as humans hold the keys to our own prisons.