Review of The Shawshank Redemption (1994) by Shania K — 03 Oct 2016

"The Shawshank Redemption" Movie Review.

A typical prison movie consists of bad food, dirty surroundings, and physically abusive inmates and guards, while "The Shawshank Redemption" takes this genre to a completely different level. While still including the filth and violence, emotion plays a bigger role. When directing the movie, Frank Darabont ought to have wanted to hit the entire spectrum of emotion. During the movie, the audience will feel themselves cheering from the couch, irritated, or holding back a few tears.

Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) is convicted of killing his wife and the man she was cheating on him with, and he is sentenced to two consecutive life sentences. While serving his sentences Andy meets Red (Morgan Freeman), who slowly becomes one of his greatest strengths. Andy uses his previous banking skills to get a job in prison that he enjoys and passes his time with hobbies and devious schemes. The movie, "The Shawshank Redemption" is made perfectly using strategic acting and not to forget about how basic the setting is.

Tim Robbins does a fantastic job playing the main character, Andy Dufresne. He captivates the audience and keeps them watching his every move. He creates a walk and a way of speech for his character. I watched an interview of Tim Robbins shortly after the film was released, and I took special notes of the way that he walked into the room and his tone of voice. He talks softly and walks as if he holds himself up a little higher than he does anyone else when he is not playing the part of Andy Dufresne. During the movie, he walks with more of a lost-like stroll and speaks in a deeper, seductive sound.

For a movie filled with drama, "The Shawshank Redemption" has the most basic special effects. The story took place in The Shawshank Prison for the majority of the movie, so the only props and backgrounds consisted of brick walls, dirty floors, and rusted metal bars. The simplicity of the special effects not only contradicted with the action-filled plot, but it was able to bring the audience into the movie. Everyone can relate to being in a room with brick walls wanting to break free because of how lonely you may feel, which is exactly how the inmates felt.

While the special effects and the props are basic, the plot of "The Shawshank Redemption" could not have been more exciting. The actors did a phenomenal job at pulling the audience into the movie and making them feel like they are there with the actors. Not only does the movie entertain the audience for a little over two hours, but it also educates the typical movie-goers on some issues in prisons in the past. At the time the wardens of prisons were finding scandalous ways to make profits and keep the money for themselves instead of using it for their jobs like they should have been doing. The purpose of this movie was to pass on the tale of the famous prison escapee and to shame the prison systems.