An excellent film with some deep thought provoking meanings

Rating: Null/10 (25 March 1999)

Films that invoke volumous comments are either visually sensional, objects of media hype or emotionally stimulating. Shawshank Redemption falls into the latter category. I saw it for the first time on television, it did not need the wide screen or dramatic visual effects because it had been well-adapted from Stephen King's book to portray something that has worried everyone at some time in their lives. Being convicted of a crime that they did not commit and locked up for life with the very worst types of human beings. How being institutionalised is the only way to survive, but when it ends there is no way to go, no way to return to a former life. All human existence is based on a survival instinct. Once that is destroyed, death is a welcome relief.
The story hinges around three men, one who never lost it and escaped to live again, one who nearly lost it but re-gained hope from the first and one who lost it and killed himself. Although the setting was the harsh and hostile environment of prison, it could have been any other institution, a hospital, an old peoples home even a family home.
Andy Dufresne is different because he never lost the hope of escape, he used the weaknesses of others, the corruption of prison officials, the internal prison system to help his long term plan. He had the great advantage over the others, including the Prison staff of being , intellignet knowledgable and clever. Such people always win through. I did not know what the end was going to be, a clever piece of filming. Although the meassage was not lost,
It should give encouragement to all those who find themselves in a similar position. The justice system, although far from perfect is much improved so miscarriages can now be corrected. But I still wounder what it must feel like to be in the situation of Andy Dufresne but without his abilities.
Let's have more such films that provoke the senses and emotions as this one did. I make no excuse in adding to the hundreds of comments already make on this film , although I have not read them because I wanted mine to be original. But no doubt other thinking people would have made similar comments. I hope that writers, producers and sponsors read these comments and take note when making more such films