+ Morgan Freeman is very good as Red
+ expert cinematography
+ 1940s time period at the start – very brutal setting
+ intimidating atmosphere
+ corruption of society – especially officers/wardens
+ moral ambiguity – who is right/wrong?
+ Andy’s back story with wife and her lover
+ design of prison and of costumes
+ thoroughly absorbing – had to tear my eyes away
+ Andy as a character – pushed to the edge and cold
+ superb shots
+ script is great – clever, witty, keeps you guessing
+ corrupt justice – Bogg’s story
+ deals with serious issues such as rape, but is sensitive and never gratituous
+ friendship between Andy and Red: “No charge. Welcome back”
+ characters pushed to the edge – Brooks
– sound is a bit dodgy – occasionally doesn’t match up to mouths
+ “They send ya here for life, and that’s exactly what they take”
+ Tragedy of Brooks was very moving
+ Andy’s rebellion with the record player – freedom and beauty – even if it is short-lived
+ constant rejection of Red at tribunal – never changes (little did I know!)
+ library – touching tribute to Brooks
+ Andy’s character develops – becomes less honest – fraud charges
+ Time passes on the outside, but in Shawshank nothing changes
+ Andy emulates the inmates as the film progresses
– hard to comprehend passing of time – decades pass in minutes
+ Tommy’s betrayal and death – harsh reality of life in Shawshank
+ shared dream between Andy and Red
+ mystery – what is buried?
+ Andy becomes hollow and empty – character development
+ The warden is twisted and calculating
+ Andy’s genius digging plan
+ flashbacks add to clarity
+ effective music – shrill tones add to tense scenes, but is very uplifting and triumphant in others
+ Andy’s escape – one of the most iconic scenes in cinema – and rightly so
+ design differences between time periods on the outside
+ Warden gets what he deserves – salvation lies within
– plot spoilt slightly due to oversaturation of pop culture references
+ Warden’s suicide – I did not see that coming
+ bond between Andy and Red – Andy’s third act monologue is quite moving
+ Morgan Freeman is on FIRE – easily a career best, even for such a seasoned actor
– a few plot points were a tad predictable
+ theme of hope and deception
+ all the characters hope for something – with varying results
In our review, we gave The Shawshank Redemption 9 out of 10. You can read it here.
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