The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Genre: Crime, Drama 

Released: October 14, 1994

My Rating:  
(Click here for more info on my rating scale)


The Shawshank Redemption is moving and compelling, and it truly touches the heart and soul.


The Shawshank Redemption is currently number one on the IMDb Top 250 list.  I don't particularly agree with that, but it is a truly great movie nonetheless.  It is moving and compelling, and it touches the heart and soul.

The story is set in the 1940s, and it involves Andy Dufrense (Tim Robbins), a young man who is convicted of murdering his wife and her lover and is sentenced to life in the Shawshank Prison.  As one would expect, he is very unhappy at first, but then he leans that there's something deeper that nobody can take away from you: hope.  As the story unfolds, over the years, Andy eventually becomes very influential within the prison and gains the respect of other inmates, especially "Red" (Morgan Freeman), with whom he develops a special friendship.

The story isn't original or creative, and it's relatively simple, and a bit predictable, but it's compelling, moving, and memorable, and there's a bit more to it which I won't go into.  The movie puts the viewer right into the footsteps, experiences, and emotions of the characters.  Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman put on great performances.  They really bring out their characters and offer true depth and emotion.  One of the major moral messages of the movie is that a person may be imprisoned, even for life, but the spirit can never truly be imprisoned.  The movie conveys this moral message very strongly, and it truly touches the heart and soul.

I am very glad I watched this movie.  It is a truly emotional experience.




Cast and Credits:
Andy Dufrense: Tim Robbins
Ellis Boyd "Red" Redding: Morgan Freeman
Warden Norton: Bob Gunton
Heywood: William Sadler
Captain Hadley: Clancy Brown

Castle Rock Entertainment presents
A film directed by Frank Darabont

Rated R for language and prison violence