Shawshank Review - A True Modern Classic

Rating: 9/10 (19 April 2015)

There are thousands of written reviews for this film on this website and the majority of them positive. I know I am just adding to this long list of positive reviews, but I feel this film deserves to be my first review on this website.
While this film may not be my favourite film, it is most definitely a film I respect. When I was young and watching 'The Goonies' and 'Back to the Future' I thought films were only made to entertain and were not made to convey a clear message about humanity. This film was the first film I watched that made me understand that the film medium could provide the world with such philosophical messages and could teach young people, like me, that life must be valued. Pretty deep right? Well this is the message that the film carries.
Red values Andy's friendship and life. He does not want him to die and wants him to survive and when I was watching this film I thought... wow! Two prisoners, one who definitely killed another person, can be so rational and kind. I learnt from this film that the world is a horrible place and emotions can get the better of people; but through it all, it is about moving on and making sure that one is not affected by the emotional trauma that has arrived at their front door and instead take that trauma and improve themselves and other people like Andy did throughout the film. By the end, when Red and Andy are embracing on the beach, free, I see two men who have been through years of pain and self-pity clear of all negative thoughts; I see two friends that through all the emotional trauma that we see them going through are still strong.
Now I can talk about themes and the impact that this film had on me all day long, but I have to praise everyone involved in this film. Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman embody their characters perfectly and when I watch it now as a 17 year old who has seen his fair share of great performances these stick out as real people and not simply a performance. Frank Darababont, who not only directed the film but also wrote it, crafts a film that is very entertaining to watch but that also conveys these themes effortlessly and writes some very memorable lines that really affect one's perspective on human nature. The scene with Brooks is a scene that had me close to tears and that showed me the impact of being 'institutionalized'.
Anyway, I have said enough about this film. It is very good and really pushed me into seeing films in a different light. If you want to read any more reviews or my list on my favourite films of all time please check me out. Thank you for reading this.