Passion for Shawshank

Rating: Null/10 (13 August 2014)

The Shawshank Redemption is the perfect movie because it touches the hearts of so many people and it is one of the greatest atypical, drama films of the 90's. It draws us in as if we are apart of a great movement showing us how to open our minds and explore the endless possibilities. Shawshank walks you through detailed moments in the film, which is narrated in a soothing voice to involve us in a story of men who have built a union in prison.
The film begins telling a story of a young successful banker, Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) convicted for the murder of his wife and her lover who is sentenced to two life prison terms consecutively. Andy is transferred to Shawshank State Prison where he meets a fellow inmate, Ellis "Red" Redding (Morgan Freeman) serving a life sentence as well. Andy's demeanor was quiet and reserved, typical of a new prisoner. As he walks through the prison gates you hear a voice, "looked like a stiff breeze would blow him over". Red soon realizes he judged Andy inappropriately that he wouldn't last in the prison sector longer than 2 weeks and later becomes very close friends.
Andy initially jeopardizes his life to build trust and friendships with others in prison including the warden and prison guards. There is a turn of events enabling him to regain his life back through manipulation and self-determination. The double cross and trickery that is done to the Warden and the head prison guard at the end of the movie is so gratifying to see play out. Red is finally paroled after he told the board that he really didn't care how they voted after 40 years of being behind bars and two rejected parole hearings. His emotions of defiance and inspiration, ultimately is what grants his freedom. The movie will take you through a host of emotions, which has a great ending.
The name of the prison and redemption refers to the action of redeeming. The movie shows how one can recover from past mistakes through resiliency. The old adage, "What does not hurt you makes you stronger" holds true to moving forward with life and starting over.
I believe the editing in the film was appropriate because the scenes were cut at just the right and precise time to introduce the next scene and new characters. It was not choppy and the movie flowed perfectly spanning over 20 years.
The photography of The Shawshank Redemption takes the realism approach to how the scenes are displayed and captured. The scenes that are inside the prison are gloomy and full of darkness portraying fear, authority, and violence. They make the viewer feel emotionally connected to the circumstances exposed in prison with the characters. When the inmates are out in the prison yard the film shots are open and bright, though it is still a prison, the outside scenes have a different feel to them. This is because when the other population is outside, it is a small touch of freedom, though there are guards everywhere and barbed wire fences restricting their every move. This may be the only time where inmates feel a sense of freedom or autonomy.
The film was very enjoyable but did move along very slowly. It was interesting to see how a man who was innocent of a crime he was convicted of and never vindicated. Also, in the process it was intriguing to watch Andy manipulate the warden and the prison guards to get what he needed and wanted to fulfill his true desires. It's a must see movie because it was a good compelling story line based on a man's courage, will, and tenacity to never give up. Despite the many obstacles Andy faced almost daily, he had the ability to maintain his innocence and intelligence while staying focused on his ultimate goal of obtaining his independence again.