timeless and classic

Rating: 10/10 (4 September 2011)

I avoided seeing this film for years because I thought it was a grim prison uprising tale from Stephen King. Well, I was one third right, it is set in a prison but it is a very good story about friendship, honesty, forgiveness/redemption, patience and loyalty. I'm going to really try and not give away too much of the film because if you haven't seen it yet, you are missing out on a great story. It's set in a prison in the late 40's. Some of the inmates have been there since the early part of the 20th century and with repeated parole denials and no rehabilitation in sight, many have been institutionalized and have lost hope and even lost sight of their own identity. When one such inmate is released, he walks into a world that he barely recognizes. He tries but in the end, fails to make it in the real world and succumbs to desperation and hopelessness. We see some of the guards greedily taking part in violence that is so vicious that it is difficult to discern the prisoners from the prison staff. But, ultimately it is a tale of redemption and the story unfolds with hardship, humor and grace. This is a film that I will see again and again.