1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die- The Shawshank Redemption

#919- The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Starring: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Clancy Brown
Directed by: Frank Darabont


Plot Summary: Andy Dufresne is a hot shot banker who is found guilty for the murder of his wife and her lover. Andy is given two life sentences at Shawshank State Penitentiary. Throughout his journey, he uses his banking skills on the guards to get him protection against violent inmates, shares his love of music and literature with the prison, and forms a deep friendship with fellow inmate Ellis Redding. During all of this, Andy continuously states that he was innocent and maintains hope that one day he could have his freedom outside the walls of Shawshank, by any means necessary.


Is it bad to say I only recently watched The Shawshank Redemption for the first time? I know, probably lost a little credibility, but hey, there's a lot of movies out there, can't see all of them......yet. Anyways, before watching it, I heard many great things about this movie, from friends and also from reviews online (it is currently #1 on IMDB's top 250 movies, as voted by the fans). I knew the movie was a big deal, so I finally decided to sit down and watch it. By the end of my viewing, I was blown away. I couldn't recall a time recently where I had sat down and watched a movie for the first time and was thoroughly entertained within the first half hour. The Shawshank Redemption had my undivided attention from beginning to end, not just because of specific characters, themes or settings, but because all those elements blend together tremendously, in a film that instantly became one of my favorites.

The story follows the double life sentence of Andy Dufresne, played by Tim Robbins. Andy is described as a hot shot banker, who carries himself with a higher regard in Shawshank, which makes him come off as a snob to the other inmates. As his time continues in Shawshank, he develops greater bonds, both good and bad, with fellow inmates, the guards and the warden, allowing Andy to be embrace the prison life and be himself, even if he's locked away at Shawshank. I think Tim Robbins did a great job of giving Andy his calm demeanor and overall pleasant optimism. I know it's odd to say, but a prison like Shawshank doesn't seem like that bad of a place, at least if someone can be like Andy Dufresne.

The Shawshank Redemption is narrated by Morgan Freeman, which of course automatically makes this movie cooler. Freeman plays Andy's friend Ellis "Red" Redding. Red is a real smooth talker and his narration helps fill the audience in on the status quo of Shawshank and all its inhabitants. Red speaks as someone who has tons of experience and wisdom of the prison life, and even fears the idea of facing life outside of prison. Freeman's best part in the movie is at the end when he goes in for his parole hearing. I won't spoil what he says, but trust me when I say it's a very satisfying bit of Morgan Freeman doing what he does best, making whatever he says sound epic.

I know Warden Samuel Norton, played by Bob Gunter, is the main villain of the movie, but for me, Clancy Brown as Captain Byron Hadley was the villain that left the biggest impression on me. Hadley was great because he could be Andy's good friend or greatest enemy depending on what Andy did. When Andy helped him on financial situations, he could provide Andy protection, while still being menacing to the other prisoners. But when Andy crossed the Warden, then Captain Hadley became Andy's worst nightmare. What made Hadley a great villain was all in Clancy Brown's face and voice, as he had a great scowl and smile that could make anyone feel uneasy at his presence, and his words were what helped carry himself, as they were always intimidating and to the point.

The main setting is at Shawshank State Pennitentiary. Director Frank Darabont gave this prison a fantastic, almost surreal look. The use of lighting and shadows really helps illustrate the prison as this intimidating structure. Upon Andy's arrival, you see what he sees and I personally felt like I would never want to be in a place like Shawshank. Darabont is fantastic with creating scenery, as is evident with his help in the creation of The Walking Dead, which just happens to be one of my favorite shows on TV. And just like on The Walking Dead, Darabont had a grand vision for the imagery he wanted to make Shawshank feel like it was its own character in the film.

One question I had throughout the movie was how the audience can like the prisoners as characters, and it is simple, because the movie humanizes them. Throughout the film, Andy helps introduce culture and humanity to the inmates. He helps the convicts develop an appreciation for books by creating a larger library, a love of music by playing an opera album over the intercom, and even offers to give some inmates a higher education. But the key theme Andy gives is hope. Andy believed that hope would be his salvation, and it is hope that allows Andy and Red to find tolerance in a place like Shawshank, as they know that fear can lead to their imprisonment, but hope can lead to their freedom.


Rating:  5 out of 5 stars.

Even if it's a film that I only discovered recently, I developed a very deep appreciation for it. Robbins and Freeman are excellent in their roles, and the film's themes and setting make The Shawshank Redemption arguably the greatest prison movie of all time. It's a film that I will enjoy watching over and over again, and I highly recommend that everyone do the same.

Comment below to share your thoughts on the movie or to discuss a topic that I left out of my review 

The Shawshank Redemption and movie images are copyrighted by Castle Rock Entertainment