THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION

Probably the most satisfying movie I have watched in a while, The Shawshank Redemption is a movie that’ll motivate you to get out of bed at 3 in the morning and make a 73-step plan to become the President of the United States. Based on the Stephen King novel “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption”, this film is very different from what most of us would expect from Stephen King who is otherwise known as the ‘King of Horror’. This movie is anything but horrifying, it teaches us the power of hope and friendship (but of course in a much cooler way than those ridiculously boring vALuE tEaChiNg morning assemblies we were forced to sit through during school)

The Shawshank Redemption is a story about a banker- Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) who is sent to the Shawshank State Penitentiary with a life sentence, charged for the murder of his wife and her lover. In the following two decades that he spends there, he becomes friends with a man named Ellis ‘Red’ Redding (Morgan Freeman). Andy slowly earns respect among the prisoners and helps the jail warden with illegal activities including an elaborate money-laundering scheme. As the movie progresses we see the friendship between Andy and Ellis as well as Andy’s hope to get out of prison grow stronger. Andy and Ellis eventually escape from Shawshank (I won’t steal the big “OHHH” moment from you by telling you how) and gain redemption.

While the plot of the movie is quite simple, the reason it is such a good film is the way the plot is executed. Throughout the film, we never get to see Andy’s point of view and most of what we know about him is only through the opinions and thoughts of his friend Ellis and the conversations he has with him. This almost makes it seem like we are one of the inmates in prison trying to get to know more about Andy Dufresne. The film is not fast-paced which might bore some people but what they fail to realise is that this is done on purpose to send us a message, the process of hoping and gaining redemption is not an instant one, and neither is justice, it takes patience and time. It involves the audience in the movie and slowly makes us feel and empathise with the oppression and hopelessness felt by the prisoners before letting us feel the relief of freedom through the liberation of Andy and Ellis. The slow pace of the movie actually helps us get more psychologically involved in it and makes us feel authentic emotions to a much higher degree.

Another reason why Frank Darabont’s Shawshank Redemption is such a great movie- if not the greatest of all time according to popular opinion- is because of how simple it is. There are no special effects or exaggerations in the film, our main character is unremarkable and plain, the supporting characters are all ordinary and nobody is trying to be more than what they’re supposed to be and yet the movie shows us something none of these complicated or special elements could achieve, something even more magical- the power of hope.

There are many other themes in the movie too like the importance of patience, loyalty, justice and oppression that can lead to self-oppression (in the case of one of the supporting characters Brooks Hatlen) and each of these themes is portrayed in a very austere but effective manner that allows us to learn many valuable lessons.

I watched the film at a very n o t - s o - o k a y - time in my life and it made me feel so much better. Its wholesome and satisfying ending gives the viewer a great sense of comfort and warmth and leaves us all feeling inspired. One of the most simple but brilliant movies ever made, The Shawshank Redemption is a movie filled with inspiring dialogues, legendary actors, beautiful direction and profound lessons. A comfort movie for those who’ve watched and a must-watch for those who haven’t.

IF YOU MADE IT THIS FAR THANK YOU SO MUCH

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