"A Redemption From Cynicism"

Rating: 10/10 (13 April 2003)

I caught this movie close to the end just as Morgan Freeman was staring at the beam on the ceiling considering suicide. He plucks up the courage to go out look for a job and try to reintegrate himself into the system but he's been away for the better part of a century. Things have moved on and he's been pegged into that corner of existence known as Shawshank prison.
When it ended, I vowed to watch it again and I finally caught it again last year. The message is strong and vibrant, it resonates throughout the movie; HOPE NEVER DIES!! It is our steel, our spine, it's what separates men from beasts. The movie was a warming experience, I have learnt from it that friendship has ties that can survive anything, time, stress, human failings, ANYTHING!! I wanted to walk tall and shout Peace and Love to everyone.
The Shawshank Redemption liberated me from the fear of suffering.
Morgan Freeman (who is my icon any-day) blows the screen away just like he did in "Lean On Me". Unlike "Lean On Me" however, gentle persuasion and steady encouragement take the place of fiery enthusiasm. Red gives Andy the encouragement he needs to fight his way out of his situation but he teaches him to fight with his mind and heart.
Tim Robbins' emotionless Andy is eerie to watch as he drifts languidly with that glint in his eye that tells of wisdom born of suffering. I watched as the innocence faded from his face and he "grew" his plan. It is ironic that the person who was saved in jail for being spineless and weak, was the one who saved his friend from losing out to the world.
When the warden shoots his own brains out, I yelled "Justice" at the TV screen. The tag-line for me is "Hope Is A Good Thing" It really is...