A Moving, Cinematic Classic!

Rating: 9/10 (15 September 2018)

The first thing that really struck me after watching Frank Darabondt's THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION was how much it resembled parts of the plot, but most of all the feel of John Steinbeck's OF MICE AND MEN. What is THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION really about? Yes, it's about a hellish prison, it's about how corruptible some human beings can be, it's about the good and the bad and the ugly of humanity, it's about depression, it's about yearning for belonging, it's about hope but most of all (like of MICE AND MEN), it's about one, truly glorious friendship. I do (of course) refer to the brilliant and heartwarming bromance shared by one Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) and one Red (Morgan Freeman). It's their tale of friendship and sacrifice that takes place in the living hell that is Shawshank prison and their brutally honest story is brought, magnificently to the screen by Frank Darabondt.
Every, single, vital element of this film is done to cinematic perfection: the writing, the directing, the cinematography, the scoring and of course the acting. All these elements are executed perfectly and the story is told with poignant, brutal, raw honesty. It makes you immediately stop and think about the days when "prison" meant prison and how if you went down, you were as a good as dead. We see this by the horrendous cruelty that Andy experiences at the hands of the brutal Captain Hadley (Clancy Brown), the vile, rapist inmate Bogs (Mark Rolston) and finally, by the black hearted and truly evil, Warden Norton (Bob Gunton). We see men, in short, treated and brutalised like animals. We see men suffering from utter hopelessness and depression but still trying to build a life around their grieving situation. However, we also see the lighter side of things and this is where the film is most moving; we see people making a working environment in prison and how they carry hope with them (some, more than others) and try their best to live a productive life in a harsh environment.
Darabondt brings this to life epically; he directs perfectly, getting the uttermost from his cast and pulling everything together marvellously, he writes powerfully, breathing real life to each character and clearly marking out the heroes and villains. He makes you feel about each and every character and you end up truly caring about their hopes and dreams for the future. Like I said, this film (I believe) owes much to OF MICE AND MEN and as we focus on Andy and Red, (I think) you can appreciate how much they both resemble George and Lenny. They care and love each other almost like brothers and share a wonderful dream of someday escaping their current hell and living the dream. Sound familiar? He is a truly talented writer and with the script, as well as being able to make you shocked, horrified and sad, he can also make you laugh, make you happy and make you charmed as you behold the lighter side to the life in Shawshank. In short, Darabondt pulls together a truly marvellous piece of cinema that captures the inner turmoil and quest for hope and peace of the human spirit.
However, Darabondt's brilliant directing is not the only great thing about the film. The cinematography in this film was simply breathtaking, courtesy of the great Roger Deakins. I always love the poetic way in which Deakins tells a story with the camera. It feels poetic and mystical: the way in which the camera flies over the prison inmates, Andy in the sewage pipe, Andy in the rain and the beaches around the Atlantic Ocean. Wether it's BLADE RUNNER 2049 or SICARIO, Deakins captures the spirit of every story he films perfectly and is a true artist with the film camera.
Another great thing about the film is the score, courtesy of Thomas Newman. It builds throughout the film with a combination of soft piano and strings. His composing is filled with such poignant emotion and poetry and it really struck me how much this score resembled his work for Sam Mendes's 2002 thriller ROAD TO PERDITION. In both films, the score lifts each scene and makes the film powerful and poignant.

Finally, the true brilliance of the film (or, when you think about it, any film) lies with its cast. The cast for this film was truly magnificent with some of the 20th centuries finest actors giving it their 110%! The main standouts are (without a doubt) Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. Robbins is powerfully poignant and moving as the movie's wronged hero. He steals every scene as his face paints pictures of sorrow, regret, depression and gentle optimism. He makes you feel so much for the character and you almost feel as if you're going through life in Shawshank with him. Put it this way: his performance in this film couldn't be further from his performance in something like THE HUDSUCKER PROXY! Morgan Freeman was also frankly masterful in this film as he shows what a truly talented actor he is. His portrayal of a worn-out but kindhearted individual is heartwarming and sincere but also his methodical, poetic, poignant, and now famous narration is truly marvellous. The story is really lifted with his virtual fairytale narration and to quote from TED 2 (as said to Freeman) "I could go to sleep on a bed made of your voice!" Everyone else in the film is marvellous so its hard to pick who else deserves a mention, but I think you definitely have to mention Shawshank's vile Warden Norton, played by Bob Gunton. At first, he pretends to be a firm but fair teacher with good, pure values, but as the film progresses, you see that his heart is as black as the some of the prisoners he keeps. He's ruthlessly ambitious and hides behind the facade of protector. He's truly as "boo and hiss" sort of villain and Gunton plays the character perfectly!
All these wonderful factors carried the film along to its shocking but wonderful conclusion. I won't spoil if you haven't seen it but I will say that the film truly ends, perfectly!
THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION captures what many films have tried to and failed: the human nature! I've seen very few films that capture the human nature in such a raw and uncompromising way. It's a truly masterful piece of cinema and probably the best 'prison movie' since COOL HAND LUKE...