Frank Darabont's Oscar nominated THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION barely recouped its production budget when released in theaters in 1994. But anyone who went to see it quickly knew they were witnessing something special. Based on a Stephen King short story, the prison drama chronicles long-term prisoners and how incarceration changes them. One particular prisoner desperately hangs onto hope, while another says that in jail, hope can be a dangerous thing.
The optimistic prisoner is Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins, BULL DURHAM), a banker on the outside who was convicted of murdering his wife and her lover. He claims that he's innocent, but no one believes him, because everyone is innocent in prison. Red (Morgan Freeman, GLORY) is a vet of the prison, having been convicted of murder at a young age when a robbery went wrong. He's the man inside who can get you things, like cigarettes, posters of Rita Hayworth, or gem hammers. The warden, Norton (Bob Gunton, THE PERFECT STORM), discovers that having a smart banker in his control can be very beneficial when you need bribes laundered. Keeping Andy in fear equally are the rapist prisoner Bogs Diamond (Mark Rolston, RUSH HOUR) and the equally sadistic guard Capt. Hadley (Clancy Brown, TV's CARNIVALE).
Over the years, Andy finds projects to occupy his time. His illegal bookkeeping allows him privileges like forming his own prison library and helping inmates get their GEDs. He's helped at first by old-timer Brooks Hatlen (James Whitmore, GIVE 'EM HELL, HARRY!), who has a hard time coping with the outside world when he is released. He later takes a liking to cocky young thief Tommy (Gil Bellows, THE WEATHER MAN), who might hold key information about his case. Andy's story is told by Red in voice over. Freedman's noble voice adds dignity, heart and hope in equal measure. The story is actually his story as much it is Andy's.
A wrongly convicted man doesn't seem like someone who would be a bastion of hope, but Andy is just that. But, how much injustice can one man bear? Andy will have to bear a great deal. At one point, Red talks about becoming an institutionalized man; a person who has spent so much of their lives behind bars that they no longer understand the rules of the free world. In prison, you either get busy living, or get busy dying.
Freeman rightfully received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor, but he should have been accompanied by Robbins, who gives one of his finest performances as a quiet, smart and determined man. Freeman gives Red a high level of common sense. He's not a hardened criminal, but a man who has to live with the consequences of what the scared young punk version of himself did. As for screen villains, Gunton and Brown give us two of the finest. Gunton's Norton is an arrogant hypocrite who we cannot wait to see get his comeuppance. Brown's Hadley is a vicious fascist who never rids his face of a sneer, but isn't a bad guy to have on your side.
Darabont brings a classic Hollywood feel to the picture. Swooping aerial shots of the prison and classic foreground/background framing gives the film an epic quality. While the story takes place over several decades, Darabont's Oscar nominated screenplay makes the passage of time seem effortless and convincing. We feel the years pass, but they never weigh down the flow. In telling this story of friendship and hope, Darabont crafts one of those films that makes us cry not out of sadness, but out of happiness and goodness. This extremely entertaining film rightfully deserves the modern classic status it has obtained.
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Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
