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bbrownfroggy
Reviews
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
My favorite movie even after becoming a movie buff.
I think a lot has been said about this movie and it deserves its cult following that it earned years ago. For me I watched it around a year and a half ago and it has still followed me since. It piqued my interest for movies overall which led me to some of the greats like Kurosawa, Tarantino, Kubrick, Wells, Ford, Scorsese, Ray, and many more. While movies like Seven Samurai come close to being my favorite, Shawshank is still superior in my eyes based on a couple of factors. One is that it is mainstream art which is actually more uncommon to get than the movies that feel too "artsy" or on the opposite side of latter where movies feel too shallow. Because it feels mainstream enough, I feel like in part it's able to ground itself and create a more genuine feel with its characters and the prison itself. Granted of course Andy's willpower is something you'll rarely come across in people but we feel it being well established as we see his ups and downs in the story. Reasons like this to paint him as a strong hearted person who can handle the harsh conditions of prison and feel human with emotionally is what makes him my personal favorite character even though Red is the fan favorite. Speaking of Red though I cannot deny Morgan Freeman's narration was nothing less than stellar as we get to see the movie through his lens and it's because we see how Red is affected by Andy. I think another thing people don't talk too much about is the more subtle themes Shawshank has. People obviously know hope is the largest theme which is beautifully done in poignant yet uplifting manner. However, I feel like friendship gives this undertone to the theme of hope that makes it more powerful. I loved all the interactions between the prisoners. They all feel real and human. Andy and Red in particular build this friendship that feels authentic and captivates the audience with looking at one of the positives that keeps these people going in prison. It makes the beach scene all the more satisfying because it fulfills that theme of friendship making the ending amazing and one that doesn't leave you for days.