Review of The Shawshank Redemption (1994) by Hannah D — 22 Sep 2013

The Shawshank Redemption (1994).

The reality and the awful truth of "The Shawshank Redemption," created in 1994, rings home for most viewers. It is a movie in which you want the innocent man to go free and for the old man to live his dreams, outside of prison. Director Frank Darabont does an excellent job playing to the emotions of his viewers, as well as creating an engaging script with an even more impressive cast.

At the beginning of the film, we see Andy Dufresne, played by Tim Robbins, in a trial being convicted of murdering his wife and her lover. This very opening scene grabs a viewer right away. It is as though Andy's stoic and reserved facial expressions make his statements of innocence even more believable. As a viewer, I wanted to see Andy go free. I wanted to see him be innocent. Nonetheless, he is sent to Shawshank prison, notorious for long and brutal sentences. Within this prison, we meet Red, played by Morgan Freeman, who has already been there for 20 years, convicted of murder as well. Red is the man that is friends with anyone and can get anything you could want outside the prison walls. He is able to play to the viewer's emotions and really show that the relationships that he forms are genuine.

The warden and Officer Hadley, head of the guards, are out to make sure that everyone's lives in Shawshank Prison are living hell. Andy was a great friend with Red, but he also made sure to be on the good side of the warden and Officer Hadley. This was worked in well with the rest of the plot. As time went on, Andy would begin to take care of these two men's money problems. He became the man that did the books for the prison, and in this way, the viewer is convinced of the relationships that are being formed. The warden treats him extra special, by letting him be in the offices and build a library for the prison, and Officer Hadley beats up any men that even try to come at Andy, in any kind of physical attack. These two men do a wonderful job of creating a menacing role that would scare the viewer into the next lifetime when it comes to being at a prison, but the "soft" side can also be seen. The viewer hopes that these two men will actually turn out to be good guys in the end, because of all of the help that they are giving to Andy. Andy knew how to play the game the correct way, though; keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

The engaging script keeps the viewer hooked throughout the entire movie. This movie spans over 20 years, and the viewer never loses interest. Not only that, but the script was full of unique, yet easy language to follow along with. This movie is not for the young crowd, but it is a good educational tool that can be used to truly convey what happened in some of the prisons in the early-mid 1900s. That is something that not all movies can really do. This is a must see movie, no matter what.