Review of The Shawshank Redemption (1994) by Victor T — 17 Jul 2014

When someone says Stephen King, the first thing that comes to mind is horror, but he has already proven that he can tell stories that aren't horror and what better example than "The Shawshank Redemption".

In 1947, banker Andy Dufresne is send to the Shawshank Penitentiary under the charges of murdering his wife and her lover. The film follows Andy's survival from atrociously violent guards, sexual harassment and some other problems and how he manages to get through this new life with just hope.

This is an example of a film that accomplished every single element that a great film needs: Its entertaining, it has a well structured story that gets some sentiment out of you, useful and interesting characters that have character development, a small amount of actually funny jokes, smart dialog, a memorable score, great actors giving strong performances, good pacing, memorable scenes, well executed themes, a well deserved and satisfying ending and good direction. I mean, is there anything else that you want in a great film? Some people claim that this film is overrated and I got to disagree entirety, just because it doesn't appeal to you at the same level as most people, means that is overrated, it deserves the acclaim that it has. I honestly can't believe that this film lost the Academy Award for Best Picture to Forrest Gump.

This isn't just an adaptation this is a cinematic masterpiece, just look how many things here are now a cliché in every prison film, story or reference. An uplifting and beautiful film that will give you hope. It really deserves to be considered one of the best dramas in the history of cinema.