Bad screenwriters can hold Hollywood prisoner, "Shawshank" can set it free

Rating: 9/10 (3 September 2019)

Frank Darabont's feature debut film is close to unparalleled, and an achievement in creating a unified Hollywood masterpiece.
Much has been said surrounding "The Shawshank Redemption" (1994), based on the short story by Stephen King and written for the screen and directed by the man of Stephen King adaptations and prison-centred movies - Frank Darabont. I fell in love with the film the first time I saw it around the turn of the millennium. After multiple viewings, its quality and rewatch-ability has only grown on me.
The film came out in 1994, right around President Clinton completed restrictive laws on penitentiaries and inmates. Perhaps that was why it didn't do well either at the box office or in reviews, as the general opinion opposed "Shawshank's" humanisation of inmates. Personally, I find Darabont's execution of this particularly touching and brilliant, exempla gratia given through the beautiful character, Brooks.
Darabont's feature debut has it all: a touching script, excellent direction, a wonderful leading and supporting cast, a grand and fitting ominous score, smooth editing and pacing, formidable production design - the list goes on - and many have celebrated its revered status as a new Hollywood classic. I personally am very fond of "The Shawshank Redemption", and although it certainly is not my favourite film, or worthy of the site's top spot in my opinion, I applaud its inception and timelessness.