Rating: 
Summary: Extraordinary Movie Making
Review: I've watched this film umpteen times now and never tire of it's wonderful composition. Everything about it is just enchanting; the script, the photography, the acting...I could go on...It's a film that truely moves you and offers amongst the most compelling viewing I've ever experienced. Miss it and die unfulfilled.
Rating:
Summary: My favorite DVD
Review: This is my favorite movie of all time. I have reviewed this movie for Yahoo.com but, I like it enough to review it again here. Freeman and Robbins made a great on screen dual male lead. This movie is filled with realism and suspense. I must say the first time I watched it I was stunned at the twist ending. I should also say this was a movie adapted from the book "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption", written by Stephen King. King is an incredible story teller. I like this movie better than another adaption. I have enjoy Kings work for many years but, this is really a deep story line. I can't think of a scene that I like any better that the twist scene so I will not detail it as to hold the suprise for those who haven't seen it. Its a great movie just buy it and enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing Movie
Review: This is simply the gratest movie I have ever seen. I enjoyed it because it is about so much more then just an innocent man going to prison. My favorite line from the movie is "Hope is a good thing maybe the best of things and no good thing ever dies." That line sums up why I like this movie as much as I do. The underlining moral of this film is the struggle for man kind to live the life that they have dreamed about.
Rating:
Summary: A monumental work...
Review: This is one of the best films EVER, if not THE best. Truly an inspirational work of art. I just cannot believe its poor performance at the box office nor at the Oscars in '94. I also cannot believe some of the comments uttered by critics against the movie, and would like make clear my views on the film. First of all, how could you say that the movie is only an unoriginal prison film with an innocent victim? The truth is, it is much more than just that. It is about courage, determination, hope, and making the best of what one has, no matter how little that is. It reminds us that good things happen to good people, to people who put their trust in the Lord. Also, don't complain about it having too much violence/cursing. As Red Redding says, prison is no fairytale world. Is there any penitentiary in the world with no violence, where all inmates are perfect, and can read and write English elegantly? There are just some words that they need to use to get the message across to others and us as an audience. Next, why would you say that Tim Robbins is monotonous, when the character he plays (Andy Dufresne) is exactly that? Andy is quiet-spoken, intelligent, kind at heart, and very touching. In my opinion, all the acting was perfect to a tee, including Robbins'. Finally, what about the music being too grim and bleak for us to bear? That is exactly the feeling Thomas Newman wished to portray, and it fits the film perfectly. The music is subtle, quiet and solemn, but also contains magnificent, heroic sections which are quite beautiful contrasts. It should not be listened to alone, but rather only with the movie. That is when the sound is most gripping. As you all know, there are two things which you can do with your life - get busy living, or get busy dying. Well similarly, there are two things which you can do with this movie - watch it, grasp its true meaning, and admire it, or just watch it mindlessly without understanding its significance to our lives. I give it six out of five stars. A movie that will really hit home and can be appreciated by anybody - anyone with a heart and a brain, that is.
Rating:
Summary: Why This Is My Favorite Movie of All Time
Review: Shawshank, externally, is nothing spectacular. There've been prison movies in the past; we can expect more in the future. What makes Shawshank any different is that it puts magic--perhaps the most foreign of elements, considering the setting--into the film. It doesn't break any new ground, and the story isn't particularly awe inspiring, but where this film represents a model for cinema production is that it shows that Heart is of more importance than glitz; in short, it shows the faults of Hollywood by doing the opposite. It is my favorite movie, because I am Andy Dufresne. I bet every person who watches it becomes Andy Dufresne. We all feel imprisoned and we want to get out, but Life, society, puts the bars around us all. Andy is just unique enough to be the outsider, and just normal enough to be the spokesperson for a species. There is a joke in Shawshank: "Everyone here is innocent; everybody knows that." With the exception of "The Sisters," I defy a person to show me a character in Shawshank who is a criminal at heart. They may have done the crime, they are, of course, doing the time, but just which character in the prison is someone that a regular, "law-abiding" man or woman would be afraid of. The inmates at Shawshank are no different than you or I. They are innocent men, caught in a cruel world; at the forefront is an innocent INNOCENT man driven down beyond what, for most, would be intolerable. How can the viewer do anything but sympathize, when it is his own face he sees though the slats of the bars, whose own picture bares the bright, red words "Parole Rejected" on it. You can't punish someone you love so fiercely. And then there is Hope, which takes a mind of its own in Shawshank. People--you, me--have been overpowered before by what we consider to be the injustice of society, but we live on and live again. For some, life ends in a cell--to live again is to break from prison or relinquish one's grasp of his own soul. As we stand (Andy united), we hold on dearly for the soul, and we encourage our hero to do the same. If he loses hope, so too shall we. What the filmmakers of Shawshank have created is Life, at its lowest--but only temporarily. It contradicts what people consider right, wrong, good, bad, and leaves them with their inner villain, the prisoner we all harbor, the Andy Dufresne in anticipation for escape. This movie is OUR release from all that we fear and all that oppresses us. Watching yourself on screen becomes the most intimate cinema experience of a lifetime. Feeling yourself escape becomes the most important experience of a life.
Rating:
Summary: The most well-made movie made!
Review: Tim Robbins stars as Andy, a banker who is put into prison and on the way finds trouble and some friends. He becomes great friends with Red (Morgan Freeman), and their friendship builds up in the movie till it reaches it's maximum peak. This movie is a "Total Triumph", and probably the best movie of the century. I have been writing stories so I can make movies when I'm older and thought I could make some of the best movies ever. But I would never make a movie near as good as this one. It's mainly a prison film which suprises viewers. Great acting by the main actors, and in my opinion should have won 'Best Picture' and many other awards it was nominated for. I gotta say Stephen King is an excellent writer. Watch this movie!
Rating:
Summary: An Amazing Movie.
Review: This movie shows the strength of a man's spirit and how hopes never die. I was very impressed. The plot was interesting and unpredictable (I never though Tim Robbins would have been able to leave). The fact that this movie has Morgan Freeman in it makes it even better.
Rating:
Summary: HOPE
Review: The Shawshank Redemption is without a doubt the best movie I have ever seen. It is the story of friendship,time,and most importantly, hope. Andy Dufresne, played superbly by Tim Robbins, is a man sent to prison for the alleged muder of his wife and her lover. While in prison, he meets Red, who is played brilliantly by Morgan Freeman. The unlikely friendship that forms between these two men who come from such diverse backgrouds is a part of what makes this movie so incredible. They become each others best friend and confidant; something that everyone in prison could use. Another element that plays such a key role in this movie is that of time. Not only does this movie span over twenty years, but time itself plays a key role in the plot of the movie. Although the time Andy spends in prison takes away a large portion of his life,in the end you might want to call it his best friend. The music of this movie is what ties all the emotional elements together. Thomas Newman does an amazing job with the soundtrack. His music transports you to the movie's place and time. It has the power to make you feel what the characters are experienceing. It also progresses chronologically to stay with the changing years. But the one elment that makes this movie so truly remarkable is the theme of hope. It gives us something to be excited about and reminds us to continue to hope in our everyday lives. Never does Andy Dufresne lose hope that he will survive his struggle. Red, on the other hand, thinks hope is a dangerous thing. But Andy pursists and wins Red over by the end of the film. I think Andy says it best when he states, "Hope is a good thing. Maybe even the best of things. And no good thing ever dies."
Rating:
Summary: Terrific and Touching
Review: This is a classic movie that should be seen by everybody. Based on the story by Stephen King, "The Shawshank Redemption" is a powerful movie filled with talented actors, a brilliant story, and more. Morgan Freeman, who plays "Red", narrates the story. He has been in Shawshank prison for many years for murder. It starts out like everyday. Him and the other prisoners would run as soon as they hear the bus bringing in the "new meat", and make bets on who is going to crack first. Red bets on Andy, who is played by Tim Robins. As it turns out, Andy went through the first night without saying a word to anybody. Andy has been confined to Shawshank for being convicted of murder. Although he maintains his innocence, it seems that nobody believes him, and for that he must serve hard time in the unforgiving prison which is filled with violent guards who are just waiting for an excuse to brutally beat prisoners to death, and a crooked warden who holds the Bible close to him. Soon, Andy and Red become friends, as Andy does his best to never let his hopes of freedom die. However, he sure learns that most of the people that enter Shawshank never come out human, and do not know how to handle freedom. Still, Andy knows in his heart that he will be free someday. This is a terrific film which gives the true meaning of friendship, and what one must go through in order to find the final redemption. I would've liked it if there were more extras on the DVD, but other than that this is a must-have. This film is brillantly directed, and the screenplay is outstanding. Filled with heart and surprises, "The Shawshank Redemption" is an outstanding picture.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing and beautifully done
Review: This movie is superb. I loved it. It has that sense of magic. And this movie was based on the short story by STEPHEN KING! Those of you who are scared by that, don't be. This movie is not scary at all. It is wonderful.
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