Shawshank Redemption Film Analysis

In 1994, Frank Darabont’s film ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ received a poor reception when released; it only made a $0.3m profit. More recently the film has become known as one of the greatest movies of all time, it has inspired hope in many people, helping them to lose weight, leave abusive marriages and such like. The film is based mainly upon two convicts, and the idea of hope. Andy Dufresne is a ‘Hot Shot Banker’ imprisoned with two life sentences, for the suspected murder of his wife and her lover and ‘Red’ (Morgan Freeman) whom Andy redeems hope in, along with the other convicts, saving them from institutionalisation.

The other theme of freedom comes in both the film and the story, when Andy Dufresne got beer for all of the crew that tarred the prison's roof. In this example, even Red stated that the break "lasted twenty minutes, the beer-break, and for those twenty minutes we felt like free men."(48) Red recalls that the crew felt such freedom that they "could have been drinking beer and tarring the roof of one of our own houses."(48) This example serves the purposes of both the story's writer and the filmmaker because it shows the reader and/or viewer that this event happened because Andy wanted himself and his 'co-workers' to feel freedom. This event occurred because he made business dealings with "the hardest screw that ever walked a turn at the Shawshank State Prison" (48). Andy was always known to have something different to him, "a sense of his own worth,

The movie the Shawshank Redemption, based on the book by Steven King, I believe is one of the best movies ever made. The portrayal of prison life in the movie is the best I have seen and a star-studded cast including Morgan Freeman supports the characters and brings to life the everyday struggles of life behind bars. In this paper I will relate topics from class to the movie and discuss information we have learned through out the semester.

In Frank Darabont’s film Shawshank Redemption, the themes of isolation and hope are used to underscore the effects of imprisonment. However, the main characters Andy and Red perceive prison life and freedom very differently. First off, one of the key reasons Andy survived in prison is due to the hope he held. On the other hand, Red lost all hope of getting out of prison. Furthermore, life for both characters became quite different once they are released from prison.

Directed by Frank Darabont, The Shawshank Redemption tells the Story of Andy Dufrane, a man who has been wrongly convicted of murder and must endure life inside the harsh and corrupt Shawshank prison, but despite this he never loses hope of finding freedom. Hope is an important inspiring idea in this film, as it is what sustains him during the long and difficult years within the prison, and it is the result of this enduring hope that Andy finally finds freedom. There are many visual and oral techniques used throughout the film to portray the idea of hope. This includes the hope that Andy holds, and

A man by the name of Andy Dufresne was convicted of murdering his wife and her lover and was sentenced to two consecutive life terms in Shawshank prison. He was an obvious black sheep among the prisoners, but as time went on he grew relationships with the crooks and realized the injustice in the justice system. In the creation of friendship between Red and Andy, hope was spread throughout the prison. While many themes are present in the film The Shawshank Redemption, hope, friendship, and injustice are also relevant in the world today.

In the novella, Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, the reader follows the life of Andy Dufresne, who was wrongly convicted of murdering his wife and a golf pro. Author Stephen King, who is known for his simpler, conversation esque writing, describes Andy’s experiences and attempt to escape from Shawshank Prison where he is being held. Red, Andy’s most valuable friend while in prison, is also in prison for killing his wife, but in contrast to Andy, he actually did it. Andy is constantly denied his freedom for parole or when evidence arises proving his innocence because of his role running the illegal money laundering scheme for Warden Norton. Throughout the novella, both characters display moments of similar, but also at times vastly different, levels of hope. King uses the way characters, such as Red and Andy, view hope as either a means of escape or simply futile in the novella to show how the circumstances surrounding a tragedy or difficult situation change a character’s mindset on hope and in turn dictates the actions they use to cope.

At the beginning of the Shawshank Redemption, Andy gets framed for the murder of his cheating wife. Which makes his life take a darker turn with him going to Shawshank prison. Shawshank prison is one of the worst prisons ever, the prison guards abuse the prisoners, and the warden orders them to do so and will do anything for money. The prison uses fear as a way to keep the prisoners in line. When you first show up to Shawshank they take you in, strip you down, and spray you with water. After that, they throw this powder on you then give you your clothes and walk you to your cell naked. The prisoners have a game to see who breaks down first, so they yell at the new prisoners until one breaks. Their goal is to break the person they bet on this shows fear because when a new prisoners break they cry and become very scared and the one who broke in the film was murdered by a guard.

The movie, The Shawshank Redemption (1994), is based on a character Andy Dufresne. Andy is a young and successful banker who is sent to Shawshank Prison for murdering his wife and her secret lover. His life is changed drastically upon being convicted and being sent to prison. He is sent to prison to serve a life term. Over the 20-years in prison, Andy retains optimism and eventually earns the respect of his fellow inmates. He becomes friends with Red, and they both comfort and empathize with each other while in prison. The story has a strong message of hope, spirit, determination, courage, and desire.

The theme of hope is both displayed in the book and film when Red talks about Andy’s demeanor while in prison. Red states how prison has not changed Andy and how he wears his freedom “like an invisible coat”......“He never developed the walk that men get when their day is over and they are going back to their cells for another endless night,” (King 72). This “invisible coat” is hope. It has helped Andy live on as a free man in his spirit. During his time spent at Shawshank, Andy voluntarily completed many tasks. He took over

The area of the criminal justice system that is showcased in the Shawshank Redemption is the prison system. By following the story of the main character Andy, both the problems and realities of the system are highlighted. Throughout the film, the characters are portrayed in many ways. The most alarming ways that the prisoners in the film is as lower class citizens. By making this point, the writers are eluding to the fact that the system is corrupt because of the subculture that exist within it.

How does Frank Darabont via a select number of cinematic techniques explore the theme of injustice? Thomson Delloso The Shawshank Redemption, directed by Frank Darabont, injustice is explored in many ways. Andy Dufresne along with narrator and friend Ellis Boyd Redding together explore the harsh realities of prison life such as brutality and corruption. The viewers of this text are shown the foul treatment that the prisoners receive and the ways that some like Andy get around it.

Andy Dufresne arrives at Shawshank Prison in 1947. He has been given a life sentence for murdering his wife and her lover in cold blood. After having lived a straight and narrow life as a successful banker before imprisonment, Andy maintains his innocence throughout the movie. Red describes Andy as having a quite way about him. “He strolled, like a man in a park without a care or a worry in the world.” When Andy first approaches Red, it’s to acquire a rock hammer that he can use to carve the stones in the yard to make chess pieces. Andy understands that in Shawshank, Red is the man that can get you things. Red agrees and over the next few years they become close friends.

Shawshank Redemption, directed by Frank Darabont and published in 1994 centres around a man by the name of Andy Dufresne who is sentenced to two consecutive life sentence for the murder of his wife and her lover. Andy serves his time in Shawshank Prison where he struggles to persevere and maintain hope even under appalling conditions. Hope and perseverance are some of the most important themes in the film and are central to the storyline. These themes are portrayed through the use of a variety of film techniques such as the lighting, the music and the colour scheme.

His skills helped him gain the trust and popularity from both Mr. Warden and his inmates. He is calm and cool in behavior that made him likable. He is loyal as he made sure he kept the promise he made to his friend Red. Andy has high external as he is educated and had a high position in a bank. On the other hand, Red has been in prison for his entire adult life which resulted in a change of personal system. He doesn’t think of life after prison. He has been “institutionalized “. He has become dependent on the required system that he doesn’t think he can survive after prison. The word institutionalized as described by Red is the process by which prisoners first hate the prison then gets used to it that finally, even their lives depend on it. (Movie). Red is also the guy that can get you anything. He sells “cigarettes, a bag of resources and a bottle of brandy” which resulted in high power and respect from his inmates. He values the life he has in prison than anything else. I believe this is because it has been a long time since he was out to see the world. He has already adjusted his behavior and way of life in regards to the required system of the prison. The rest of the prisoner’s personal system lies between these two.