Review of The Shawshank Redemption (1994) by Clem666 — 27 Jan 2022

Despite a marvelous start paved with amazingly captured exposure scenes, attractive flashbacks and an unavoidable narration from Morgan Freeman, 'The Shawshank Redemption' sadly manages to lose its main plot into deceptively intertwined sub-plots.

Originally presented as a classic film, it ends up being more like a documentary on the American prison system. Surely we closely follow the experience of Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), whose performance remains striking by the way, but the scenario tends to incorporate dull and shallow characters. Obviously you are never incarcerated alone, and the omnipresence of others is a point of life in jail you can't miss, but here the movie doesn't even bother to link characters further than the few relations we see them have on screen. It is like if all characters evolved on their own but still achieve to develop a great team spirit.

In the end there remains numerous unanswered questions and misunderstandings. All I can say is that director Frank Darabont wanted to be sure we see that Andy Dufresne suffer a lot and withstand many terrible events. That we see him trying to remain upright and honest, tough in his own way. But for what ? His revenge tastes so bland and uncompelling compared to what we see him go through almsot two complete hours ! The ending seems so disappointing and awkwardly dreamy compared to the rationality and coldness of the beginning of the movie, as if the screenwriters had bent over the script and written it all at once, without bothering to add the glue that would have allowed the many pieces of the puzzle to fit together.