Scheme Of Hope

Rating: 9/10 (1 May 2011)

"The Shawshank Redemption" isn't only a movie these days; it's a statement of purpose for underdogs and anyone who ever felt trapped underfoot by a system they didn't understand. Yet watching the film with that knowledge doesn't obscure the fact it is a highly satisfying emotional thrill ride worth taking again and again.
Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) is sent to Shawshank State Penitentiary in 1947 for the cold-blooded murder of his wife and her lover. Over the next 19 years, he does what he can to stay above the mire, consisting not only of the cruelty of his fellow inmates but the heavy hand of a brutal warden, Norton (Bob Gunton), a sadist who thumps his Bible while telling his charges that "salvation lies within." Andy's stubborn refusal to give up hope in the face of his incarceration engenders the wonder and friendship of several inmates, especially "Red" Redding (Morgan Freeman), who nevertheless wonders about Andy's state of mind.
"Hope can drive a man insane," Red warns Andy. "It's got no use on the inside." Andy doesn't agree.
It's true what other commenters say: You can't pass two-and-a-half hours much more quickly than by watching this. There's enough cleverness, good humor, and uplift to power five Hollywood blockbusters, and terrific acting from the stars to the day players. Based on the Stephen King novella, "Rita Hayworth And Shawshank Redemption," it's the gold standard of King adaptations thanks to the powerhouse work of writer and first-time director Frank Darabont, who uses Freeman's narration to inject King's voice into the proceedings.
Robbins is a great lead, physically towering over the rest of his cast, his quiet authority reminiscent of James Stewart, whose famous film "Harvey" Dufresne even references at one key moment. But Freeman is the film's secret strength, playing "the guy who can get it for you" with a note of welcome ambiguity. Watching him in an early scene, when a fat, new convict ("fresh fish") is being beaten by cruel head guard Captain Hadley (Clancy Brown), you don't know whether Red looks so crestfallen for the victim or for the packs of cigarettes he just lost betting the guy wouldn't break before Dufresne.
"Shawshank" is otherwise not ambiguous at all. The bad guys are vile, justice is served up on a heaping platter, and a final scene is too on-the-money for its own good. But the ride getting there is so true and natural, so minutely well calibrated with its lived-in details, that you can't really deny this film's classic status, nor want to. It's a deserving King Of The Hill for the IMDb 250.
But why is it so highly regarded beyond that, as a film whose message touches so many so deeply? Like so many others, I think the notion of Shawshank prison as a metaphor for life has much to do with it, the idea that however dark and embroiled in life's miseries we become, its belief that "a warm place without memory" is not out of reach pulls us in. You can see a religious message in such a notion if you are so inclined, and many are, yet the film is clever enough to work on other levels, too.
Finally, it's a great story, well told. People will always have a need for such stories, especially when the things they tell us are as fine and noble as they are here. Andy wants out of "Shawshank" bad, but for viewers it turns out being a fine place to serve time in.