It is a brilliant prison melodrama with an unusual title

Rating: 9/10 (31 October 2016)

The movie has excellent acting, excellent cinematography, and great music. Its one of those roller coasters of emotion movies that in the end leaves you feeling good. It's one of the best book to film transitions ever. Stephen King's may be best known for his horror writing but this is not horror. The movies success starts with the brilliant Steven King novel that it was based on "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption". You can find the novella in a 1982 King collection, "Different Seasons", along with a story, "The Body," that became the basis for the another top notch movie the 1986 smash "Stand by Me". It celebrates the triumph of the human spirit. It's not a simple feel good movie- there is a good deal of brutality in it. As one of the characters explains: "this is no fairy tale world."
It is about a 20 year friendship between two men in a prison (in my opinion). In telling that story the narrative highlights the memorable moments. The film is also about long-term imprisonment. The movie is not driving towards it's conclusion. A lot happens, and the film just seems to amble confidently along like the film's main character. The conclusion comes about as just another story among other stories. The story teller just saves the best story for last.
The Bottom Line: It can be as much a spiritual experience as it is a simple movie. Turned into a classic!