The Shawshank Redemption is a 1994 drama film directed by Frank Darabont and written by Darabont, based on Stephen King's novel Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. The story follows Andy Dufresne, a banker who is sent to Shawshank State Penitentiary after being convicted of killing his wife and her lover.
Inside the prison, he slowly becomes friends with Ellis "Red" Redding and spends years trying to survive a place that can easily take away a person's hope.
My Take
I had heard about The Shawshank Redemption many times before actually watching it. I'm not so fond of old movies, but one of my close friends said it's worth it, and I noticed it's taken the first spot on the IMDb Top 250. I'm surprised it's still in first place.
It is one of those movies that people keep talking about even after many years. So when we finally decided to watch it, I already knew that it was supposed to be something special. Still, I wasn't expecting the movie to affect me this much.
The movie starts pretty slowly, especially compared to the kind of movies I usually watch. There are no big action scenes or anything like that. It is mostly about Andy's life inside prison, the people he meets, and how he slowly gets used to that place. But after a while, I was completely into the story.
Andy and Red's friendship was probably my favorite part. They don't become best friends in one scene. It takes time. They talk, help each other, and slowly become important to each other's lives. I really liked that because it felt much more natural than some movie friendships where two characters suddenly become close for no reason.
And then came the ending. I knew the movie had a famous ending, but I didn't know exactly what was going to happen. When Andy finally escapes through the tunnel he had been digging for years, I was genuinely happy for him.
After everything he went through, seeing him standing in the rain outside the prison felt like a huge relief. The scene with Red finding the letter and later meeting Andy in Mexico was also a great way to finish the movie.
Outstanding Performance including spoilers
Andy slowly earns a different position inside Shawshank. At first, most prisoners don't know what to make of him. He is quiet and doesn't act like the others. His knowledge about money and taxes eventually gets him noticed by the guards, especially when he helps Captain Hadley with his financial problem. That changes how some people inside the prison treat him.
I also liked the rooftop scene where Andy helps the other prisoners get beer. He does it by taking a big risk and talking to Hadley about his money problem.
After that, Andy and the other prisoners sit on the roof drinking beer. For a short time, they almost forget that they are prisoners. It was a small moment, but it showed how Andy could bring a little bit of normal life into that place.
Then there is Brooks. After spending most of his life in prison, Brooks is released and finds it very difficult to live outside. He has no idea how the world works anymore. He eventually takes his own life. This part was sad because it showed that prison had become the only life he knew.
The biggest moment is Andy's escape. For years, he secretly digs a tunnel through the wall of his cell using a small rock hammer. He hides the work behind a poster and removes the dirt little by little. When he finally crawls through the tunnel and reaches the outside, he has escaped from Shawshank after nearly 20 years.
The twist about Andy's innocence and Warden Norton makes the ending even better. Andy learns that another prisoner, Tommy, knows about his case and can help prove that he didn't kill his wife. Norton doesn't want Andy's innocence to come out because Andy is useful to him for handling illegal money.
Tommy is killed, and Andy realizes that waiting for justice is not going to work. So he makes his own way out. Later, Red follows the instructions Andy left for him and finds him in Zihuatanejo. The two friends finally meet again, just as Andy had hoped.
Casts & Characters
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Andy Dufresne played by Tim Robbins.
Andy is a quiet and intelligent banker who is sent to Shawshank for a crime he says he didn't commit. He survives prison for almost two decades without giving up his hope. In the end, he escapes through the tunnel he secretly dug and starts a new life in Mexico.
Ellis "Red" Redding played by Morgan Freeman.
Red is the man who can get things for other prisoners, and he becomes Andy's closest friend inside Shawshank. He is more realistic about prison and life than Andy, but Andy's friendship slowly changes the way he thinks about hope. After being released, Red follows Andy's instructions and eventually finds him in Mexico.
Warden Samuel Norton played by Bob Gunton.
Norton is the prison warden and presents himself as a religious and respectable man. Behind that image, he is involved in corruption and uses Andy to manage his illegal money. When Andy's escape exposes his crimes, Norton kills himself before the authorities can arrest him.
Captain Byron Hadley played by Clancy Brown.
Hadley is one of the prison guards and can be very cruel to the prisoners. Andy becomes useful to him after helping him with his taxes. Hadley later becomes part of the corruption inside the prison and is eventually arrested after Andy's escape reveals what was happening.
Brooks Hatlen played by James Whitmore.
Brooks is an old prisoner who has spent most of his life inside Shawshank. He struggles badly after being released because the outside world feels completely unfamiliar to him. He eventually takes his own life because he cannot adjust to life outside prison.
Tommy Williams played by Gil Bellows.
Tommy is a young prisoner who becomes friends with Andy and Red. He tells Andy about another prisoner who confessed to killing a woman and her lover, which could prove Andy's innocence. Before Tommy can help him, Warden Norton has him killed.
**Conclusion including spoilers
For me, The Shawshank Redemption is mainly about hope, friendship and not giving up even when life looks completely hopeless. Andy spent almost 20 years in prison for a crime he said he didn't commit, but he never allowed Shawshank to completely control his life.
He kept his plan secret, dug that tunnel little by little, and finally escaped. Warden Norton lost everything because of his own greed, while Andy got the freedom he had been dreaming about for years. And the best part for me was Red finally joining him in Mexico. After everything they went through, seeing the two friends together again was the perfect ending.
"Be Good, Think Good and Do Good"
Rating: 95/100
