A beautifully crafted tale that underlines subjects that have been forgotten in modern films- friendship,hope, freedom

Rating: 10/10 (21 July 2006)

This film is a modern classic. Why? Because it simply includes everything which builds a great story, and that is all films really are, storytelling.
The concept of story telling can very easily be lost and forgotten in an industry that can sell cinema tickets by using special effects and employing world super stars like Tom Cruise. That may well be the easy option, but films that rely on pretty faces and big budgets will never be remembered. It is films like Shawshank that will lodge themselves into people hearts, and will be passed down by many generations.
This is because everyone that watches this film becomes a part of it. You are there, in that prison, suffering when Andy does, smiling when Andy does. Tim Robbins plays this part so well it could be classed in one of the best lead parts in a film ever. He is simply superb. Plus, Morgan Freeman, well, would we expect anything less from a man with such talent?
It is this relationship, between Andy(Robbins) and Red(Freeman) which really strikes me as a breathe of fresh air, as if i had been hit in the face by a strong wind. We are trapped in a society where relationships only seem meaningful and deep when the two people involved are having sex. Hollywood have molded this preconception that characters with a relationship must sleep together. Shawshank, for once, tells the tale of two men, who by the end of the film have a very strong relationship, but have not gone down the Brokeback mountain road of madness. Their friendship is portrayed free of sex, yet is portrayed so powerfully that you are emotionally taken back by the ending. Personally i nearly cried at a friendship so pure yet so meaningful.
The plot is also perfectly timed. I am someone that is usually quite critical if the speed of a film moves too fast or if it drags on. Shawshank gives you a mixture of paces, but also keeps the story turning and turning, as if it has a heart beat, pumping more and more of the story line, unwinding the plot before your open jaw.
Another subject i would like to comment on is the swearing. Again, i am normally quite critical of films that have swearing in, just to look cool, or higher the rating. Swearing in that context seems unnatural, and therefore disjointed. However the swearing in Shawshank seemed totally natural, and all part of the atmosphere of the prison.
Finally, i think everyone should see this film. This is a pure, yet thrilling tale of hope, friendship and belief. The story is executed brilliantly, with intense characteriztion from both sides of the spectrum- you become Andy, and go through his struggles with him, and you hate the warden and his captain with a passion.
I guarantee, by the time those credits gracefully slide up the screen, you jaw will be open, your mind will be blown, and your heart will be broken into pieces. This is a truly unforgettable masterpiece.