Shawkshank Redemption

One of my favortite movies of all time is Shawshank Redemption, starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. The film is directed by Frank Darabont.

The story takes place in the Shawshank state prison in Maine, where Tim Robbins' character Andy is falsley charged for murdering his own wife. He and the warden of the prison have many disagreements and eventually get a rivalry going. Because of Andy's banking backround, he is able to get a sport working for the warden. in exchange Andy gets to fix up their library and make it his own. During this stint with the warden Andy finds out about some ilegal buisness affairs that is going on with the warden. This helps him later. Life was tough in prison; from getting raped by other inmates to constant trouble from the warden, Andy's determination and intelligence helps him to keep truckin' through the everyday life that is prison. Andy has one goal of getting out, and that is the only goal he wishes to reach. He once says " Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things; and good things never die"

This film is a story about a man whos life was unfair, but he never quit. This film be a movie for all ages in that sense, but is more of an adult film because of the realness of jail and conspiracy.

Although this movie wasn't a hit out of the gates at the box office, it has gone down as a top notch film that is becoming a classic. Both Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman won the 1994 best actor award for the film. It also won best picture from the national board of review, as well as best sound, editing, picture, cinimetagraphy, and adapted screenplay from the academy.

All the awards were well deserved, but the cinematography stood out to me. I remember the second time Andy gets raped in prison it is in a deep focus lense. I think he chose this lense to show that this wasn't one bad day, but something that was happening frequently, and there was nothing he could do. Yet, Andy kept pluggin' away. The cinematographer also used lots of low key lighting to show Andy in the dark and alone, I think to emphasize his personal struggle. While also using it on the warden to show that his power was soley his, like a dictator.

Overall, I can't say enough about this movie. It will go down with a spot in my top 5. I thought the plot of the story was amazing and the characters were great. But without the eerie sound effects and different uses of the camera, this movie wouldnt be nearly as intense and fulfilling. This one gets 2 thumbs up, 4 stars, 10/10 whatever you want to call it; it was the experience that you look for when walking into a theatre, and then some.