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The Shawshank Redemption

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Darabont’s use of film language or techniques in The Shawshank Redemption, transports the audience into the world of Andy Dufrense and Red Ellis. Cahir asserts that “movies are fundamentally visual”, and when a proper discourse of multiple filmmaking techniques are effectively utilized, the visual effect is mesmerizing. In the final scene of The Shawshank Redemption, the audience is witness to Andy and Reds redemption, as they find themselves once again reunited on the beach of Zihuantanejo Mexico, the paradise of their dreams. The ending scene, although climactic, is introduced as Red, recently paroled, travels to the border to meet with Andy. Darabont chose to use voice over, in much the same way he utilized throughout the film, to convey …show more content…

He hopes he can cross the border to see Andy again and that “the pacific is as blue as it has been” in his dreams. Darabont chose this moment to fade from the view of the bus on a lone two lane road, to the blue ocean as seen from a bird’s eye as it glides above. It again fades from the blue ocean view to a longshot of Red walking down a beach, still dressed in his suit, pant legs rolled up meager suitcase in one hand and suit jacket in the other.to his left is open white sandy beach, to his right lay the pristine turquoise Pacific waters with waves lapping at the shore as a lone bird fly’s overhead. The camera slowly tracks to the left bringing into view the bough of a boat, the wind picks up Reds hat and blows it toward the ocean, symbolizing putting the past behind to begin anew. It is now that we see a series of (match on action) editing as the camera shifts focus to Andy, who is working on the bough of the boat we just saw. As Andy looks up the camera again shifts focus to Red who is smiling and then shifts back again to Andy who jumps off the boat to greet his …show more content…

It is also a form of preoccupation according to Sue Clayton, RHUL, University of London. In her journal article “Visual and performative elements in screen adaption: A filmmaker’s perspective”, Clayton asserts that due to “preoccupation with fidelity…in US cinema…most adaptations remain remarkably faithful to ‘core elements’ of story theme and character arc”, shedding this fidelity in a negative light. Yet, fidelity to core elements is what makes Darabont’s adaptation of Shawshank, a successful enterprise. As noted earlier, throughout the movie, a voice-over monologue by the character Red, is used to drive the storyline. His stories are heard in past tense, yet, the action takes place as if in current time. It is a melodious combination, that enthralls the audience through Andy’s journey of cultivating the friendship between himself and Red, and dealing with the enmity of the prison environment. The fidelity to core elements in Shawshank comes from the fact that in King’s original story, Red, also played both orator and participant in the saga, thus served as the driving influence of both stories. The assessment of a films adaptation successes or failures is purely subjective to each viewer and their personal, visual and emotional translation of a film. Understanding this ideology requires reviewing two other assessments of the adaptation of

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