Movie Review: Shawshank Redemption

This is a movie about hope. About a man who refused to be bowed down by his circumstances. By the unfairness of life. By the institution. The Shawshank Redemption is a movie about Andy Dufresne. Andy is a well-off banker who is withdrawn and quiet. His wife finally fesses up to cheating on him and openly drives to her lover's house. Andy follows them there, drunk and contemplating murder. He loads his revolver, steps out of the car...and then? According to the prosecutor, Andy is a criminal. A man who committed cold-blooded murder. Witness the facts: Two dead victims, riddled with 12 bullets, a broken bottle nearby with fingerprints on it, revolver bullets, and tire tracks that match Andy's. It doesn't help that after leaving the place, Andy throws the gun in the ocean. He claims he thought better of his actions and simply drove home, but the judge doesn't listen. A double life sentence. In the Shawshank prison. The movie chronicles Andy's life in prison, as told from "Red's" perspective.

Red is a friend (played by Morgan Freeman), a man who looks out for Andy and for his fellow man. The movie has all the elements of a usual prison movie. Violence, corruption, brutal guards, a dramatic escape. But what sets this one apart is the great editing and storyline. Every scene is pivotal. Every episode has deeper meaning. This movie was beautiful, cruel, deep, and funny at the same time. One of the best I've seen.

How do people adjust to life in prison? Some don't. They quickly die or go mad. Some become bitter and cruel. Some suck up to the guards and become fawning creatures, men without dignity. Some become so institutionalized that they struggle to readjust to the world outside. All of this is explored in the movie. Can you imagine spending 50 years in a prison? The day Red enters, people are driving in model-Ts. When he leaves, he's an old man adjusting to the world of the '60s.

You will feel happy and feel sad. But most of all, you will be thoughtful. That's the mark of a good movie.

Caution: The movie depicts harsh prison violence, murder, psychopathy, and cruelty. It's extremely profane and all but depicts prison rape. Not recommended for those under 15. But it's still worth watching.