I am watching ’The Shawshank Redemption’ for the umpteenth time as I write this review. This movie is - and will hopefully always remain - a ’classic’. Why? Because of its portrayal of those who have not only experienced - but also survived - the inhumanity, brutality. and corruption of the (universal) ’prison system’.
Tim Robbins is ’Andy Dufresne’, a banker who is imprisoned for (allegedly) murdering his wife and her lover. Morgan Freeman is ’Red’, the Afro-American narrator of this story, who also happens to be imprisoned in the same forsaken prison, which is ruled by a corrupt warden (Bob Guntan), who gleefully dispenses harsh and undeserving punishment on prisoners who challenge ’the system’.
Andy and Red develop a ’friendship’ of sorts - that is - they give and take from one another without feelings of guilt or shame. Andy decides to become a crusader; he somehow manages to convince the warden to provide beer to the prisoners, and writes hundreds of letters (over the many years of his imprisonment) to wealthy corporations, and requests books/musical recordings/movies, which he believes will be beneficial to other prisoners. Despite his many violations of the ’rules’, Andy eventually works his ’magic’: he becomes the warden’s personal financial accountant.
We suspect that Andy’s ultimate goal is - escape. Does he? If so, does he survive? What about ’Red’? What about the warden? Tell me! What happens in the ’end’?
Well, dear friends .... you’ll find the answers to ALL your questions WHEN you watch this movie!
Why is ’Shawshank’ one of my top 10 all-time favorite movies? Robbins and Freeman are SO REAL! The warden is SO CRUEL! And .. somehow, all of that ’fits together’, and makes this movie worthy of watching more than once!