The Shawshank Redemption

The Shawshank Redemption is a prison movie that is based on a book by Stephen King and directed by Frank Darabont. The movie is not the average bloody horror movie; instead, it takes you to a place where your worst nightmares come alive. The tremendous performance by Morgan Freeman and other actors has truly brought this film to life. The emotions characters portrayed were so real that every one could feel compassion toward them. The Shawshank Redemption, a contribution to the working man, illustrates the dark side of the prison and the power of hope within that helps a prisoner to survive.

The Shawshank Redemption depicts the working class man that shares qualities of a hero. Andy Dufresne is an average character on to whom other characters can depend. According to Richard Armstrong, Andy is the “traditional American hero” (80). Andy uses his resources of intelligence and “resilience” to survive the harsh prison life. Similar to every other movie or life situation, each man has to prove his innocence. The hero has to use his qualities not only to survive, but also to restore his reputation (Armstrong 80). From the beginning, the viewers are not sure if Andy is truly guilty. He declares his innocence, but so does every one else in prison (Steyn 35). Every task that Andy overcomes leads him closer to his master plan that will eventually free him (Armstrong 79).

His first plan is to initiate protection from other inmates, such as a gang of rapists, and to build up trustful relationships. When Andy first arrives to the prison, escape is not the first thing on his mind. In fact, the first thing he asks of Red is to be provided with a rock hammer. Andy’s intentions were not to use it to dig a tunnel; instead, he wished to continue his work in geology and to make the best of his time (Armstrong 81). Andy helps the head guard and the warden financially through the investment secrets he gained from his profession. By helping them with their taxes, he earned beer for his fellow inmates, was allowed to establish a library, and received the right to provide education for the prisoners (Avella 16).

Since The Shawshank Redemption is written by Stephen King, who writes typical horror stories, it is surprising that this film does not follow the typical horror flicks of blood and gore. There is some violence in the movie, but nothing too brutal and bloody. The horror in this film is one of conviction and spending life in prison. The setting is “dark and foreboding” and creates the atmosphere of the last place one would ever want to spend their life. The convicts have to tolerate other prisoners and guards who are brutal and ruthless (“Morgan Freeman Stars” 58). The Shawshank prison is a hell full of sinners (Alleva 16).

To the prisoners, prison is like a whole different world. After learning to deal with imprisonment, the prisoners then have a hard time dealing with the outside world. Another horror about prison life is the psychological disorder of being behind bars for so long prevents prisoners from being able to survive in the real world (“Morgan Freeman Stars” 58). One of the characters, played by James Whitmore, commits suicide because it is difficult for him to adjust to the outside world. Red, another prisoner, does the same thing when he is on parole (Alleva 16). Red states that “in [prison] he’s an important man” where “outside he is nothing” but a “con [who] probably couldn’t get a library card if he tried” (qtd in Armstrong 81). Before Red and James hang themselves, they do something with the knife in their hands. To keep the suspense alive, Darabont does not reveal their actions until after the suicides take place. The shot of the scene endorses one of Andy’s ideologies: “get busy living or get busy dying” (qtd in Avella 18). The use of camera, angle shots, and knowing when to use them appropriately are the aspects that keep the viewers on their tiptoes. That is one of the things that Avella admires about the director (16+).

The film is a bit ideal with flaws when it is supposed to reflect the time period of 1947. Alleva claims that the film was flawed because of its inaccuracy of common racism of the time. The movie did not even touch on the aspects of racism in 1947. He brings down examples of how 98 % of prisoners were white (18). Armstrong agrees with Alleva in terms that the film has no racial conflicts. In fact, Red, who is black, and Andy, who is white, become best friends (82). Also the film does not accurately portray signs of aging in Andy (Avella 18).

Other attribute of the movie is the roles that hope plays in the prison. Hope is what Andy feeds on. It is what helps him to survive prison life. The idea of hope is seen first when Red and Andy rationalize the significance of music within the prison walls. Red believes there is no point in playing music in prison, in fact, he quit playing his harmonica.