In the film The Shawshank Redemption, directed by Frank Darabont the purpose of the beginning sequence is to introduce us to Andy Dufresne and his situation; being accused of the murder of his wife and her lover. This sequence uses lighting, music, sound and camera work to show us Andy’s struggle. A production aspect that shows us this idea is lighting. Low Key Lighting is used in the scene when we see Andy in his car drinking bourbon and loading his hand gun. Low Key Lighting is when the lighting in a scene is dim and it is often used in movies to show people are thinking dark thoughts. This tells the viewer that Andy is going through a rough patch in his life watching his wife enter the room with her lover and it makes the viewer …show more content…
It makes the audience feel afraid about what’s going to happen next. Another example of diegetic sound used to create a tense atmosphere is when Andy first arrives to prison. We hear the inmates’ voices, whistling, screaming and banging the gates. This makes them seem mean and the scene tense and makes the viewer think that Andy has arrived to a dangerous and horrible place and that he could be in danger there. These sounds make us feel anxious for him about his new home because the inmates seem intense and mean. Moreover another production aspect used to show us this idea is music. Music is used to create mood and help us understand what a character is going through. We hear violin and string instruments as Andy arrives to Shawshank Prison. Violin and string instruments are used in movies a lot to make the viewer feel sad about something happening or about to happen. We first hear Orchestral Music when we are shown Shawshank Prison we hear it playing in the background low volume and slow tempo and this increases in volume and tempo to create a sad mood for Andy’s arrival and emphasise that the prison is a dark and depressing place to end up. It suggests to the viewer that the prison is a sad place to end up in and that it is a corrupted place too. It makes us worried for Andy who seems like a good guy. Another example of Music used to
a sense of freedom"(48) which Andy could even manage to possess inside the prison. Andy always carried an "inner light"(48) inside of him, an inner light that burned for the dream of freedom. Andy got the beer for all his crew because he wanted the crew to have a sense of freedom
In prison there are different levels of confinement and this was shown to play a big part in the prisoners life at Shawshank. If you were caught in the act of doing something against the rules or in Andy’s case, standing up to the warden, you were sent to solitarily confinement for a period of time. In the movie Andy spent two months in solitary with only bread and water to survive. This to me is a hell of a way to get what you want out of the inmates but some have nothing to lose so even solitary does not break them.
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 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.
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.
Andy Dufresne is knowing he is innocent of his crime and is determined to be free and live his dreams. At Shawshank State Prison, it may seem like the inmates are controlled and unable to do anything. However, Andy and the other inmates took every opportunity to make themselves feel freer. Although Andy is convicted sentenced to life in prison his self-determinism for extrinsic and intrinsic motivations are clear throughout the film. The experiences that Shawshank brings does not hinder the self-determinism that he shows. It’s always a possibility that someone could escape a prison yet no one thinks it can happen. The maximum-security prison in the film The Shawshank Redemption is no joke however through determination Andy Dufresne can accomplish it. Upon arrival to the prison Andy had to adapt to direction that his life was heading. Even though he knows of his innocence he is incapable of just walking out and has to deal with the nuisances in his way. The characters feel like freedom is something that they always look forward to, but near the end when Brooks and Red are paroled they soon realize the changes around them and can’t adapt. Nevertheless, Frank Darabont does an exceptional job of showing the emotions that the charters had to go through in this prison escape film. It seems as though the point he is trying to get
“The Shawshank redemption” is a film in which Andy Dufresne is wrongfully given two life sentences for the murder of his wife and her lover and is sent to the Shawshank prison where Andy is subjected to a variety of different beatings by the guards and other inmates, even being raped by other inmates. After getting involved with doing the guards taxes the crooked warden forces him to hide his many untaxed revenues. After Andy escapes he leaves the jail in scandal by giving evidence to the press surrounding the warden’s dodgy dealings. This paper will be analysing how the director, Frank Darabont uses stylistic features to present the idea of hope in the film. The primary features used in this film was symbolism but there is the use of lighting
'Shawshank Redemption' directed by Frank Darabont is a compelling film about the life of one of its prisoners, Andy. many film techniques were used through out the film as a clever way of conveying main themes. This essay is going to examine how Darabont used camera angles and colour effectively in this film to portray the idea of power.
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
The Shawshank Redemption movie is about a man named Andy Dufresne who was falsely accused of murder and was sentenced to life in prison for the murders of his wife and her lover. Being in jail, Andy faced many problems of being abused, but he also gained a strong friendship with a man named Red. Many of the things that the prisoners had to face showed a sociological perspective on how life was in jail and how it affected the prisoners. In Shawshank prison, the functionalism theory, the conflict perspective, and the control theory shows the life and adjustments a prisoner has to make in order to survive going into a new world.
The Shawshank Redemption started with numerous advantages. The story was based on a novella by Stephen King. King works had already been tapped to create other memorable movies. The Shining, Stand by Me and Misery all had critical success. His reputation as a storyteller should have attracted King’s dedicated followers, the previous movie adaptations, cinephiles. Tim Robbins, cast as Andy Dufresne, had already risen to a certain status with roles
Shawshank Redemption is directed by Frank Darabot, published in 1995 Australia. The film focusses on the theme of forgiveness and escape. It follows an unusual friendship between Andy and Red set in a 1930’s American prison. The main focal scenes explored include: Brooks suicide and Tommy’s death. The film is to be narrated by Morgen Freeman (Red), it shows the 20 year period of Andy’s imprisonment. As a part of the analysis emphases on the scenes as it introduces the audience to the Shawshank prison and Andy’s first moments when attends to the prison to the very moment when he escapes to Mexico.
The scene of Andy’s arrival introduces us briefly to several important characters and Darabont uses with the aid of reds dialogue to give the audience insight of what there opinions of Andy was on first arrival. “he was just a little turd in prison grays. Looked like a stiff breeze could blow him over. That was my first impression of the man.” The arrival of Andy in Shawshank Prison was the point of no return for him. Darabont uses this scene as a reality check for Andy which makes him feel extremely small quickly. Darabont does this by using high angle shots of the guards high up with guns showing how insignificant Any is now compared to them. This is also shown in the close up shots of Andy showing his concern and his darting eyes trying
Holding onto one’s humanity is a skill that takes constant practice and the conscious decision to do so. The protagonist of the film, Andy, is very different from the rest on his inmates at Shawshank in that he manages to hold onto his humanity throughout his time in prison despite many trying situations. This trait is first expressed when Andy asks if anyone knows the name of man who was beaten to death by the guards on his first night in prison. By simply having some human emotion Andy has proven that he is not willing to let prison change who he is as a human being. Again, Andy leaps out of his comfort zone during his confrontation with the guard on the roof. Perched on the edge of the roof, Andy spreads his wings and risks the fall in order to grant his inmates a taste of the outside world through the simple luxury of a few beers for his friends to enjoy. The great beauty of a man who not only has the courage to hold onto his own humanity but also has the boldness to help others do the same is what makes Andy such a captivating protagonist. His courage and determination are the only thing keeping him human and moreso, keeping him sane.
The movie “Shawshank Redemption” shows what goes on in a prison. The movie depicts the part of a prison that most people are not aware of. People think of a prison as a place a person is tortured physically as well mentally. However, all that being said true, friendship, hope, and loyalty exists in prison. The movie shows how the main characters Red and Andy build a friendship that lasts in life after prison and loyalty among the inmates. Besides the development of friendship, the movie clearly shows the everyday routine of a prisoner’s life. The movie focus on the main characters Andy, who used to be the vice president of Portland bank before entering prison convicted with a double murder of his cheating wife and a man she was with and