Film Review - Spoilers

Rating: Null/10 (4 May 2014)

The Shawshank Redemption is a film about a man named Andy Defresne, played by Tim Robbins, who goes through the struggles of an innocent educated man going to prison. Along the way, Andy learns what it takes to live comfortably in prison and makes a few friends along the way. Andy's best friend becomes Ellis Redding (Red), played by Morgan Freeman. Eventually, Andy discovers that a man has admitted to killing his wife and her lover and becomes annoyed that he is forced to stay in prison. Andy then creates an elaborate plan of escape and a way to live well after that.
The main theme to this film would be the importance of freedom and friendship. It was freedom that drove Andy. Andy missed the simpler things in life and tried to bring them to the prison. Andy missed being able to have a drink with his friends, he missed the sound of music, he missed making a difference in the world. As a high up banker, Andy had many responsibilities but in prison he started out as just he laundry guy. Later, Andy forced himself to be the warden's personal accountant. But it was friendship that helps push Andy along. Without the friends he makes along the way, Andy would have been all alone and would have probably died not much longer. Andy's best friend, Red, was his greatest point of motivation. Red was comfortable in prison and knew how to live well by prison standards. But Red also knew how to be a decent person after being in prison for so long. Red was Andy's escape from the savage ways of the other prison mates.
A similar film with the same themes would be "The Patriot". This film has the same freedom theme as Shawshank. The characters in "The Patriot" are all fighting for freedom. They feel as if England has oppressed them long enough and wish to be free men. The same feeling is felt in Shawshank. Andy is feeling oppressed by the guards and the sisters pushing him around that he wants a change. Andy's strategy is less dramatic because he is only one man, but the drive and emotional toll is still there.
"Shawshank Redemption" is such a great film for many reasons. But the technique that makes it such a great film is the sound. It is so simple because there is no background sounds in this film. There are not any dramatic music scenes to help pull us in the film. The reason for this is because prison is a scary thing and to scare the audience more, all they had to do is let us listen to someone get beat up in the middle of a cold concrete floor. This helps us want freedom for Andy and Red. It wants us to help them escape.