The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

A great, solid drama

I only recently watched this for the first time. I know people and critics rave about it constantly, and I was curious to see if all that praise was justified. Well, I saw it and yes, its an extremeely good film. The acting is flawless, the script hole-free and really keeps you interested throughout the whole film. The story is a simple, but engaging one and I really could find no fault with it whatsoever. That said, I'm not sure if I would call this the greatest film ever, or even in the top three, but its certainly up there. I was debating whether to give it 4 stars or 5. While I loved the film, I didn't REALLY love it, but for such a flawless film, I finally settled on the 5 star rating, which is something I don't do that often. If there is anyone who has not seen this yet(like me up til a few days ago) I would definately recommend you watch this. July 1, 2008

A brilliant adaptation of King's short story.

The performances are amazing.
I read Different Seasons and I never really cared for the book.
The movie however is better than the book for once.
The directing is spot on.
The movie is a very heart warming tale, well..........the end is anyway.
The prison scenes are ............disturbing.
It's one of the better "strange" movies out there.
I recommend Shawshank for a great story, great acting, and great directing.
Not for kids though.
Recommended!!!
June 25, 2008

Greatest Movie in the 21st Century

MASTERPIECE - HOPE FRIENDSHIP GOOD and EVIL

I do not review movies but I felt like I had to for Shawshank. This is the best movie ever made. Outstanding story which have elements of hope friendship and love. If you are ever down watch this. By the end you will better.

Director Darabont did this without almost any CGI that we come to expect from movies these days. He gives us this by giving strong characters and excellent story which is hard to come by these days.

Newman's soudtrack goes hand in hand. Without it it could not have been a strong as it is.

People will remember Shawshank 20 years from now but will not the ones that got the awards during its run. In my opinion Shawshank was not awarded by the Academy like it should have been. June 8, 2008

Extremely Satisfying and Inspiring Masterpiece

It isn't always easy to find the words to describe a great film. It is just that every ten years or so there is a film that lifts me up and forces me to take a deeper look at some facet of my life, in this case an understanding of value for my own personal freedom. The Shawshank Redemption feels like a deeply personal film for me. It gets under my skin and by its conclusion I want to well up like a big baby no matter how many times I've seen it. I know that other people feel the same way I do about this film but I never approach them to ask why and I only sometimes decide to express a feeling like that in writing, like I am now. The Shawshank Redemption is one of those rare films that reflects something real enough that I can almost empathize with its characters for two hours, at least enough that I find a new respect for the life I have. After all, no murderer is only that. He or she is or was a son or daughter to someone; maybe a wife, a husband, a lover, or a best friend to others. That doesn't make anyone's crimes more or less forgivable, it just provides more than a one-dimensional perspective on such profound character dynamics. Redemption is a process by which the redeemed find enough comfort in whatever they have or whatever they've done that they can keep going again. But this is not just a film about some men gaining atonement for their guilt. It is far more than that; it is about survival and hope and I always feel a little sense of salvation myself every single time I watch it.

Directed by frequent Stephen King novel interpreter and outstanding screenwriter Frank Darabont (The Green Mile, The Mist), The Shawshank Redemption is a film that takes place in the late 1940s at Shawshank Prison in Maine. It follows two prisoners; Ellis Boyd Redding or "Red" (Morgan Freeman), who has long known of the accountability he has for his crimes and Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), a quirky banker serving two consecutive life sentences for the murder of his wife and another man, crimes he did not commit. Andy is easy to root for as both an innocent man and a fish out of water. His ethics, his honesty, and his moral character are crucial elements to a story taking place in a world of such corruption and guilt. It is beautiful to watch and Robbins is so compelling. Freeman truly becomes the redeemed and in the end he can only find his sense of hope and freedom in the ways that an innocent man, perhaps unwittingly, inspired him.

This was actually not a huge hit in theaters and I didn't even see it until about three or four years after its initial release in 1994. It was nominated for seven Oscars but was overlooked due to Forrest Gump, a film I can do without. All of sudden it seems everyone is coming out of the woodwork to hail the Shawshank Redemption as one of the greatest films of all time. It is hard to see any film from the last twenty years or so on lists next to Citizen Kane or The Godfather, but I can't say it troubles me to see this particular film get so much credit. The movie is emotionally powerful enough that it almost feels like a relative or an old familiar friend up there getting a round of applause and all the credit in the world. I suppose I never expected anything less. April 14, 2008

A very good movie

Very fantastique story .
It was with a great pleasure than I saw this movie.
And the most for me, there are french language and in my country, this DVD doesn't exist.
Donc pour ceux que cela interesse, le DVD est en français (non signalé lors de l'achat)il faut juste dézonner son lecteur pour le voir en france March 27, 2008

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