‘The Shawshank Redemption’

FILM REVIEW by LLEDO RIVAS RENAU

Film Title: ‘The Shawshank Redemption’

Country/Year: USA/1994

Genre: Drama

Director: Frank Darabont

Writing Credits: Stephen King (‘Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption’), Frank Darabont (screenplay)

Cast: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman

LANGUAJE: English with jargon

MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America): Rated R for language and prison violence (Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian).

Plot/Synopsis: A man, wrongly imprisoned for 20 years for the murder of his wife and her lover, becomes the best friend of another prisoner. He is the only one that holds out hope, finding in this way peace and solace.

OPINION: A beautiful and unforgettable film that reminds you life is a simple choice: ‘Either get busy living or get busy dying’.

‘Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free’. This Frank Darabont’s film (he was the director of another excellent prison film, ‘The Green Mile’, based on a Stephen King’s novel as well) was nominated for seven Academy Awards but got zero. `Forrest Gump’ was the winner and `Shawshank Redemption’ and `Pulp Fiction’ were the great losers. However, while `Forrest Gump’ is now seen as a good film, `Shawshank’ and `Pulp’ are acknowledged as some of the all-time best.

Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), Vice-President of a large bank, is found guilty of two murders, his wife and her lover. He is imprisoned with two life sentences in Shawshank, where he meet Red,`the man who gets things’ (Morgan Freeman, in one of his best-actings) and they set up the best friendship. Despite the violations Andy suffers, he says no word and can hold out hope. His hope is in music, in the sandy beaches of Zihuatanejo. `There is something inside that’s yours, that they can’t touch’. It is, above all, a film about hope, dreams (you always can achieve your dreams), freedom, even inside a prison (the moment with Andy playing over the prison loudspeakers the duettino ‘Che soave zeffiretto’ sung by María Callas from Mozart’s `Marriage of Figaro’) and friendship.

Besides the great actings of Robbins and Freeman, I would like to point out the music by Thomas Newman, one of the best nowadays composers (`American Beauty’ and `The Road to Perdition’) which gives the film this serenity sensation.

Success did not come easy for `Shawshank’. One reason was the title. Many people did not know what Shawshank was. Another reason was that a prison drama is not easy to sell to women and the story of friendship between two best friends is not for men. Many people also think there is a religious subtext to be found here, because of the themes of hope and faith. You can find both figures here, Good and Evil, (Andy and Warden Norton). But if you are not looking for subtexts, this film is perfect for whom needs hope. It is a moving film and both actors are two of the best.

In conclusion, it is the perfect film.