The Shawshank Redemption

Although I don't have particularly much to say about it, I strongly feel that I should blog about The Shawshank Redemption. I didn't really know what to expect from this film. Before I watched it, I knew very little about it other than it's set in a prison and it is largely acclaimed to be one of the best movies ever made. At a couple of different stages throughout the film, I did a little test on myself that I've started to do to gauge how much I'm enjoying a film. That is, if someone came in and just switched off the movie and told us to leave, how much would this bother me.

So at a few points during The Shawshank Redemption, I imagined Andy coming back into the room, turning off the screen and telling us just to go home and realised I wouldn't have been too chuffed. Mainly down to the fact that the story was so riveting. 

Throughout the entire film there really wasn't a moment where I was bored watching. The story had so many different strands going on which all linked perfectly with each other. Furthermore, I think the film was made more engaging and entertaining by the skillful characterisation of all the main characters. All the people in the story I found were very believable and this made it easy to relate to the central characters of Dufresne and Red. The adverse treatment that the prisoners were subjected to from the warders and others further helped the audience to sympathise with the prisoners and feel antipathy towards the prison establishment. The clear conflict between the authorities and the inmates changed to a different dynamic, however, when Dufresne realised the potential benefit of helping the warders et al with their financial issues in return for better treatment and privileges.

In The Shawshank Redemption there are many important themes that come through at different points but for me, none are as prominent as the theme of Justice. Through a combination of the contrasting characters in the film and the use of plot, I think this theme is conveyed excellently. Throughout, Dufresne insists his innocence but is brushed away by Red because "every man in Shawshank is innocent." However, the audience is aware of Dufresne's innocence throughout which makes the feeling of injustice so strong throughout the whole film. One of the factors, therefore, that I think makes the film so fantastic and triumphant is that all the different strands of sadness and injustice that occur throughout are eventually put right. 

The final half hour or so of the film I found particularly moving. When the audience learns of Dufresne's escape the mood becomes one of great triumph for the first time in the film. I felt a sense of elation that someone in the film had at last achieved a victory over the prison authorities. The remainder of the final half hour consists of very fitting and appropriate denouement which is very sad I think but also joyful at the same time as Red is finally given his parole and is reunited once again with Dufresne. Although the film can feel very hopeless and isolated for much of the time, it is a "happy ending" in which justice is finally allowed to prevail. I enjoyed this film greatly and it was one of those films where you don't want to leave the people in the story to go up and have lunch in the RSAMD café. It is very easy to see why The Shawshank Redemption is consistently in the top ten list of best movies and is largely considered to be one of the best pieces of cinema ever made.