The Shawshank Redemption is an emotional and intense movie. Directed by Frank Darabont and released in 1994, the film is based on Stephen King’s novella Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption.
The film is a story about Andy Dufresne, a banker who is quiet yet determined and is unjustly sentenced to prison for the murder of his wife and her lover. He is given two life sentences at Shawshank State Prison, a place that strikes fear and pain into its inmates. What’s even more interesting about this movie is that it was filmed at the Ohio State Reformatory, a real prison instead of a movie set in Hollywood.
From the moment that Dufresne, played by Tim Robbins, first arrives at Shawshank, the corruption and cruelty of the prison can be seen almost immediately. The guards are mean, the warden is greedy and hypocritical, and the prisoners live in constant fear. But Andy refuses to lose hope. Along the way, he becomes friends with Ellis “Red” Redding, played by Morgan Freeman, who is an older inmate with a reputation for being able to smuggle things into the prison. These two characters steal the show and create the foundation of this legendary film.
Andy’s intelligence and patience soon set him apart from the rest of the inmates. He uses his banking skills to help the guards and the warden with their money, such as disguising the warden’s illegal money laundering scheme. In return, he gets small privileges, like improving the prison library and helping the inmates gain their high school diplomas. A personal favorite scene of mine is when Andy locks himself in the warden’s office and broadcasts an opera record over the loudspeakers. For a few minutes, all the prisoners in Shawshank are motionless and are in awe, listening to the wonderful music. It’s a strong message that even within prison, individuals can still feel free through imagination and hope.
The film’s messages of hope and endurance peak in an ending that will never be forgotten. Andy vanishes mysteriously from his cell after almost twenty years spent at Shawshank. Andy had been digging a tunnel in the wall of his cell for years, using a small rock hammer that he obtained from Red. He crawls through hundreds of feet of sewer pipes and finally escapes into the night beneath the distraction of a thunderstorm. The next morning, the warden discovers Andy’s tunnel behind a poster of Rita Hayworth, and his entire world collapses as his crimes are exposed. The warden commits suicide before being arrested, providing a satisfactory ending for the viewer.
The ending is sentimental and heartwarming. Red does eventually get approved for parole and is released. He travels to “a big hayfield up near Buxton.” There, he finds Andy’s note telling him to come find him in Zihuatanejo (a Mexican town on the Pacific coast). He visits Mexico in the final scene and reunites with Andy, working on a boat in the ocean. The two friends are relieved, finally free after all those years of pain and adversity. It is the ideal conclusion of the movie’s theme: that hope can be found even in the most improbable of situations.
In my opinion, The Shawshank Redemption is one of the greatest films ever produced. It is a highly memorable film about hope, justice, and the power of friendship. The film’s amazing performances, touching story, and realism are key factors in why many movie viewers continue to say it remains one of the greatest films ever made.
