The Shawshank Redemption
“Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things. And no good thing ever dies.” A middle aged man never wanting to give up; filled with hope yet he is surrounded by dark, cold walls consuming his life. The Shawshank Redemption, directed and screenwrited by Frank Darabont, was released in 1993 by Columbia/Castle Rock. Based on the novella Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King, it is a prison drama and runs over a period of 140 minutes.
Set in a fictional state penitentiary in Maine called Shawshank Prison, Andy DuFresne (Tim Robbins) is portrayed as being an average, hard working man. DuFrescne is a bank vice-president who is sentenced to two consecutive life sentences for murdering his wife and her lover. Andy’s old life is washed away as he enters Shawshank Prison, a place filled with anger, vengeance and treachery. “There must be a con like me in every prison in America”. Ellis Boyd “Red” Redding (Morgan Freeman) is a well known prisoner in Shawshank Prison, who is the man that can get things. Andy and Red become loyal and trusting friends and both deal with everyday prison life with twists and turns along the way.
Frank Darabont’s drama filled film is a work of art, with mind blowing performances from Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman; these two amazing actors truly bring Shawshank Redemption’s storyline to life. By having Tim Robbins play the quiet and independent Andy Dufrense was an excellent choice; Tim Robbins truly sets the emotional tone of the film with his character. Ellis Boyd “Red” Redding is a respectful, understanding and judgemental character and by casting Morgan Freeman as “Red” he delivers a powerful performance.
Cinematographer Roger Deakins did not have such a hard task set out for him in The Shawshank Redemption. Good and evil was portrayed in light and dark, when we are first introduced to Warden Samuel Norton (Bob Gunton) he walks in through the dark so we instantly begin to think he is...