Released: 1994
Director: Frank Darabont
Cast: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Clancey Brown, Bob Gunton.
Based off of the Stephen King short story ‘Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption’.
This is one movie I have been wanting to see for a long time but never got around to it for one reason or another. But I’m glad I finally did. Even though my father put some doubts in it, I found this to be amazing. The beautiful narration is done by Morgan Freeman’s character Red about his time at the Shawshank State Penitentiary and how another man changed his life.
After being wrongly convicted of murdering his wife and her lover, Andy Dufresne (Robbins) is sentenced to two consecutive life sentences. During his time he makes a few friends. One being Red (Freeman) who he clicks so well with. Over the years, Andy learns the ins and outs of the prison. The good and the bad. And while he does he dreams of a better life outside of the prison. He makes friends and learns how to work the system. But he also leaves his mark on the others and shows them that they can still feel like free men even on the inside if they’re smart. If you dream hard enough and are persistent, someone’s bound to cave.
The warden is a pure bastard. Manipulative, crooked, slimy.
There are several key things in this film like the message to never lose yourself in a time where you think all is lost. And also never lose hope because to lose hope is to lose it all. Hope is a very strong feeling and the more you hope, the better the chance. Frank Darabont adapted a few of Stephen King’s written works, The Mist, and The Green Mile. And this had the same feel and captivation as The Green Mile without the supernatural. In this, the supernatural aspect is simply just hope and perseverance. And smarts. If you’re smart, you can achieve many things.
Still the same message that someone can come along and change your life around in the best way possible.
10/10
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