Review of The Shawshank Redemption (72)

After taking a short break from our movie list, we finally got back to it with The Shawshank Redemption and we got to test out our new home theater system in the process.

Plot
Announced guilty for the murder of his wife, Andy Dufresne is sent to Shawshank prison to serve a life term. Becoming friends with Red, Andy tries to adapt to prison life, and goes on an unforgettable journey with Red inside the prison walls.

Jason’s Thoughts
After watching The Shawshank Redemption for the first time, I didn’t know what puzzled me the most – the fact that it was based on a short story written by Stephen King or that it took me so long to finally watch it.

When it first started, I wasn’t sure how I was going to take the slow progression of the movie, which I am not usually a fan of, but when it is all said and done, it turned out to be one of the better movies I have watched thus far on the top 100 list.  What struck me most about this film is that after a series of highs and lows I was expecting to see it end on a down note, however, it didn’t and that really caught me by surprise.

Throughout the movie we get to witness the life of a prisoner that spans about two decades.  A good majority of the prisoners have been demoralized from all of the abusive guards and other inmates to the bad food and corruption.  One prisoner, however, manages to keep hope alive and passes it on to those around him.  Whether it is striking a deal to get them some beer, building up a better prison library or just letting them escape by playing a record, it brings back a little hope within those who have lost it and makes them feel human once again.

You may have noticed by looking at our Netflix stats that I don’t hand out many 5-star ratings.  At the time of this writing, I have given out a total of 13 5-star ratings out of a possible 236 movies that I have watched over the past year and a half.  The Shawshank Redemption is one of those 13 movies.  There is a good chance that I am one of the last people to have ever seen this movie, but if you haven’t yet, I would highly recommend that you at least rent it once and see it for yourself.  

Crystal’s Thoughts
I must admit, I was blown away with how good Shawshank Redemption was!  When I first read that we had to watch it, I had mixed feeling, wondering how it could have even made the list.  Perhaps this is why it sat next to our DVD player for almost two months...

The storyline is griping from the opening credits to the end ones.  It makes you really think deeper throughout as well.  One of the most interesting parts for me was how we simply release (when it is time) prisoners into the real world.  Yes, I am aware they did something horrible (well, most), but I do not believe it is of the best interest to lock them up for 30+ years and then just let them go.  I found it sad that this was filmed over a decade ago, yet I believe not much has changed in the prison system.

On lighter notes, there was humor nicely intertwined throughout the movie, which I feel added to its intrigue.  It kept one interested and brought on a sense of compassion.  The acting was also exception throughout, though I am partial to Morgan Freeman, so perhaps I was a bit biased.   Part of me does wish I had read the book this movie is based on first, but I think it will still make for a good read.  It was an exceptional movie.

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