A Film That Doesn't Fit Into A Genre (And That's What Makes It Great)

Rating: 10/10 (25 May 2017)

"The Shawshank Redemption" is currently the highest-rated film (on average) on the IMDb website, a position it has held for quite some time. After a recent re-watch, I completely understand the sentiment, and (at least for me) the reason is fairly simple: this is a film that doesn't fit into any certain genre box. Drama? Prison Movie? Caper film? Emotional tear-jerker? Yes to all. My favorite films are the ones that supersede labels, and "Shawshank" does exactly that.
For a basic plot summary, "Shawshank Redemption" tells the story of Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), a man condemned to two life sentences in the maximum-security prison for the murder of his wife. While in Shawshank, Andy quickly befriends Red (Morgan Freeman), a man who "knows how to procure certain items" that Andy wants/needs. Andy, through his analytical wisdom, also gets in the good graces of iron-fisted Warden Norton (Bob Gunton) and lead guard Captain Hadley (Clancy Brown) by his ability to do tax returns and basically run the prison's money-laundering scheme. While initially this affords Andy some luxuries that other prisoners do not receive, including his persistence in building up the prison library, eventually he comes to a crossroads: become institutionalized or fight back against the system.
Without giving away the ending spoilers for those who may not have seen it, "Shawshank Redemption" is one of those movies that expertly balances the "side quests", so to speak, with the main plot arc, and everything comes out perfectly. That is a difficult thing to do in a film, as often the sub-plots crowd out the main storyline (instead of adding to it) or seem like filler. Neither of these things come close to happening here, as director Frank Darabont makes sure that balance is achieved.
I feel like "Shawshank" is one of those movies that almost gets the short-shrift in "greatest of" conversations because it has become so iconic as to almost be "too present". The ending is now classic, Freeman's narration is perfection (this was before being almost comically typecast as "narrator guy" down the road in his career), and every single character is interesting and advances key plots or character development. Basically, "Shawshank" is almost too iconic for its own good in the sense that it never strays too far from the "film consciousness". One has to just make it a priority to sit down and watch it from beginning to end from time to time to truly appreciate its greatness.
Perhaps the true staying-power of "Shawshank", however, is that it truly has "something for everyone" in terms of plot and characters. Some may get invested in whether Andy is guilty or innocent, others will marvel at his persistence in creating the prison library and contributing to prisoner education, while still others will identify with Red's side of the coin and how his character changes from the beginning of the film to the end of it. For me, the arc that always "gets" me (moving me to tears) is that of Brooks (James Whitmore), a prisoner for 40+ years at Shawshank who is finally released to the outside world. Despite the apparent freedom, Brooks cannot adapt to life outside the prison structure and social order. Living in a run-down apartment and bagging groceries at the supermarket, he conjures up plans to get himself back into prison where he can "be somebody" again. Basically, he has become "institutionalized", and that to me was maybe the most interesting theme in all of "Shawshank".
Simply put, "The Shawshank Redemption" is a cinematic masterpiece of the highest order. If you haven't seen it yet, you are in for a real treat. Once your kids or relatives are "of age" to begin to comprehend the film's themes, show it to them too. Or, just sit down and watch it yourself for the ump-teenth time (like I just did). The characters will still be as vibrant and the themes will still be as applicable as the first viewing, and you'll likely pick up something new in every viewing experience. It is that expertly-crafted of a film.