Just who is the hero?

Rating: 9/10 (2 April 2000)

As stated in the tagline, this is a film of hope. The difficult question is however, is whom does it refer to? The two lead characters (Andy Dufresne and 'Red' Redding, played superbly by Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman respectively) are both inmates at Shawshank penitentiary, one innocent and the other guilty. This however, does not mar your opinion of either character - you are able to sympathise with both of them, as you are with many of the prisoners. You root for these criminals every inch of the way, despite their wayward past and current situations. This is perhaps the ultimate feelgood movie, with the greatest twist since Kevin Spacey walked away in The Usual Suspects. Unlike other films of this genre however, there is no need for constant assurance that this will make you feel good - bar one or two moments in the middle, there is no hint that anything positive will happen to either hero, right up until that moment.
The greatest factor in this movie must be the characterisation. Prison guards turn from monsters, to friends to cowards; prisoners range from the horrific, to cruel, to pitiful and finally to likable. Above all, unlike too many recent films, each and every character is human and believable.
Is there an answer to that question? Which character has the lead - the narrating Red or the centrepiece Andy? Who has the hope? The answer to that lies in the interpretation of a film that can mean anything.