Quite simply, the best story in the history of motion pictures.

Rating: 10/10 (6 May 2001)

This is a story about the despair of life in prison, as well as the friendship and hope that can be found and maintained within its walls, against all odds.
As mentioned above, and as far as I am concerned, this movie is the best of all time. I have lost count of the number of times I have seen this movie, and it touches me every time I watch it. As a matter of fact, I just finished watching this movie on television, on a cable channel that cannot seem to get enough of showing this film. I'm sure you know the one I mean, because they have shown this movie dozens of times, usually back to back. If you are a fan of this film, I'm sure you watch it every time it is on, much like I do, and are always amazed, yet again, at the end of it.
This film is written so eloquently that I doubt much could top it. Having not read the original short story by Stephen King (which is titled "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption"), I cannot comment on the accuracy of the movie in relation to his telling of story. However, I'm sure that it does justice to King's writing. Frank Darabont, who wrote the screenplay and directed Shawshank, also wrote the screenplay for and directed King's other prison film, The Green Mile, which also should not be missed.
The acting here is excellent, but I doubt anybody would be surprised at that, given the cast present here. Morgan Freeman (Se7en, Deep Impact, Kiss The Girls) has shown time and time again that he is one of Hollywood's best and most underrated actors, and he certainly shines here as Red, the man who "knows how to get things." Freeman's narration is superb, I doubt a better job could have been done by anyone else. In the history of film, people such as James Earl Jones and Martin Sheen never fail to provide narration that is highly eloquent, but this film shows that Freeman deserves to be in the same category as those two actors. Tim Robbins does a great job as Andy Dufresne, an innocent man who knows he will remain in prison for a long time to come, but refuses to give up hope.
Despite excellent writing and acting, however, I believe the most poignant thing about this film is the score. Present at the best times, and lacking when it should be, the use of the score for this film helps set the tone and the mood for almost every scene. Obviously, in a film set in a prison, there isn't much happiness to go around. However, certain scenes in this film are defined by the score that goes with them, making the viewer look twice at a scene which would otherwise be quite drab and seemingly unimportant, and making them appear different than they are, thus impressing the theme of hope on the viewer in an almost subconscious fashion.
Historically, of course, this film will never be viewed with the respect and honor it deserves, especially with newer, more appealing prison-based films available, such as the aforementioned The Green Mile. It is unfortunate that Shawshank didn't win the Academy Awards it was nominated for, because it certainly deserved them. However, during its Oscar year, it was up against a little Tom Hanks vehicle called Forrest Gump, a movie which held back most others that year, and deservedly so. As often happens, seemingly to avoid one particular film taking home all the gold, Oscars were awarded to other films over Forrest Gump that year in various categories, and it's too bad that Shawshank wasn't one of them.
I guarantee that you will love the characters of Andy & Red, along with the interaction between them; hate Warden Norton and his sniveling sidekick Captain Hadley; and be moved by the eloquent ending of this fantastic and unforgettable film. It truly is an experience not to be missed.

10/10, and I'd give it an 11 if I could.