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Summary: Shawshank Shimmers
Review: When this film first came out back in the early '90s, I resisted all praise and acclamations. I was not a big fan of Stephen King back then nor prison movies. How wrong I was."The Shawshank Redemption" is now one my all time favorite movies. This powerful yet exquisitely addicting flick shimmers with a lyrical quality unmatched in any book of prose. Morgan Freeman, as "Red", narrates the complex story of one intelligent man, Andy, who is wrongly imprisoned for murder. Andy, an ex-banker, played perfectly by Tim Robbins, quietly lives his life behind bars and in the sand-yard. But is he resigned to this life? No. He subtly works his magical patience and resolve over a span of many years and delivers to other memorable characters and to us, the one thing we all need to know exists....hope. One of my first favorite scenes is when Andy outwits a guard on a blazing hot rooftop for a few icy cold beers for himself and other prisoners. As I am writing this review, I am smiling. There is so much to this tale.... Beautifully shot, well adapted, and perfectly casted, "Shawshank" will forever be a shimmering wave of emotion....rolling, thundering, smashing and slowly ebbing to the shore. Thanks for your interest & comments--CDS
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Summary: Hope is the only thing worth living for
Review: The power of man to endure and overcome all adversity. That is the story in Shawshank. Tim Robbins plays an unjustly convicted fellon who overcomes his situation using his mind and his ability to never lose hope. This is a fantastic story told through a group of master thespians.
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Summary: A modern Ulysses
Review: This movie is a real masterpiece: the poetic dialogues, the protagonists' intense performance, the human values of dignity and solidarity. Andy is symbol of the concept the ancient Romans called "gutta cavat lapidem" ("drop digs stone"). In other words, Andy waits for the right moment to be free: he knows his innocence and is aware that it is necessary to be careful and wisely strategic. He is like Ulysses, who disguises himself as a sheep, in order to escape from Polyphemus' cave, without hesitating to renounce strategically his leader demeanour, making himself mistaken instead of a sheep. In modern culture the metaphor of sheep resists as an idiom defining a condition of passive subjection. Andy's condition of frustration and slavery in prison is the same. Polyphemus (as well as the director of prison, in this movie), feels the backs of all his sheeps, without being sharp enough to find out that Ulysses and his friends are underneath their bellies. Ulysses' "eyes of mind" are always open and allow him to save his own life. Similarly, Andy's "eyes of hope" are always open, as well, nevertheless the other prisoners provoke him fiercely and try to discourage him. Equally, once he returned to Ithaca, Ulysses pretends to be an old beggar, in order to enter his home without being immediately eliminated by the suitors who tried to replace him during his absence (just as in this movie it could happen to a prisoner who tried to escape during a moment of desperation). He pretends to be weak and poor while actually he did not lose his strength: he is waiting for the right moment to reveal himself and assert his power again. The same happens to Andy, who demonstrates the courage of the wait and the strategic attitude of a champion of chess (another fascinating metaphor recurring in the movie). Using the last verse of The Police's song "Wrapped around your finger", "Devil and the deep blue sea behind me vanish in the air you'll never find me, I will turn your face to alabaster, then you'll find your servant is your master. And you'll be wrapped around my finger". It is the upright man's redemption. Hope, intelligence, self-control and patience at last win. A great lesson of life for all of us.
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Summary: The Ultimate Buddy Picture
Review: Everyonce in a while, a movie comes along that changes the way you look at filmaking. For the Horror genre it was Psycho, for Action, Aliens and for Drama, it is the Shawshank Redemption. These films change the way we look at movies. They raise the bar for how a film should be made. The film queitly crept into theaters in 1994, and was overshadowed because of the lack of blockbuster stars in the picture. But that didnt keep it from gaining 7 academy award nominations. The film focuses on Andrew Dufresne (played to perfection by Tim Robbins) as a convicted murder sent to prison for the murder of his wife and her lover, a crime he did not commit. The film takes no prisoners in delving into the hardcore realities of prison life. At first, Andy has trouble fitting in, often resulting in him being violated by other prison memebers and guards. But one day, he meets "Red" (Morgan Freeman) who changes the way he looks at life. Red has the ability to access things for people, and through this, the story progresses. Morgan Freeman also does the naration along the way, which is worth the price of the dvd by itself. The film could have easily been a disturbing and hardcore look at prison life, and at times it is. But, the main focus is hope, and thats what makes it so great. As you watch, the movie starts to grow on you. No longer does this prison look to be such a bad place. The film grows on you. Everytime you veiw it, something new is picked up which makes it that much more enjoyable. The music and direction of the film is remarkable. The enemies of the movie, the warden and guard memebers, all have there own distinct personalities. In every way, this movie is a classic. It has friendship, hardship, hope and a true message. If you buy one dvd, not for the extras, but for an endearing story youll come back to and enjoy everytime, make this the one you buy.
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Summary: Nothing is greater than the Human Spirit
Review: The Shawshank Redemption is one of the greatest movies I have ever had the priviledge of viewing. This movie had all the components to make an excellent classic. The actors-Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins, were GREAT. Robbins and Freeman prove great allies and friends in this movie. Unlike other films I truly believed these two had a genuine friendship. The plot was amazing. Focusing on the story of a man wrongly imprisoned for the murder of his wife. The story continues as the man continues through his years in prison and eventually his unconventional way of getting out. I recommend that everyone who loves great films should see this movie. It will renew your faith in the human spirit.
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Summary: Simply Incredible
Review: There are few movies (or works of art, for that matter) that have moved me as this movie did. The tale of Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), convicted of the murder of his wife and her lover, takes place (for the most part) inside the walls of Shawshank Prison, where he is serving his prison term. From the beginning it is clear that Andy is different from the rest of the inmates: he has an incredible inner strength and morality, and it starts to win over a number of the other inmates, including Ellis "Red" Redding (Morgan Freeman). The journey to friendship that these men take is simply a joy to watch... the two actors do a beautiful job portraying the characters. Moreover, the narration that Freeman does sets an incredible job of setting tones and leading the viewer on an emotional roller-coaster. In the end, the redemption that finally comes took me to a wonderful place, and while it is strange to say that a prison movie can leave you feeling like a million bucks, this one did. I just can't say enough about Robbins and Freeman; how there was no more mention of these two performances at the Academy awards for that year is inconceivable to me. I've seen others say that this movie is predictable... maybe it is, and I just missed things. All I know is that this is an incredible job of movie-making: fine acting, directing that allows the movie to move at the right pace and that doesn't overwhelm any other aspect of the movie, and a story that makes the redemption very real. I agree with other reviewers, in that it would have been nice if the DVD had more features, but the movie itself is, in my mind, one of the finest movies ever made.
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Summary: This one will restore your faith in movies
Review: The Shawshank Redemption definitely rates as one of the best movies of all time. Adapted from a short story by Stephen King, the movie is about how hard prison life can be. Frank Darabont( Director of the Green Mile) orchestrates this moving masterpiece. With captivating performances all around, the movie subjects you to the power of human spirit. To quote the movie "hope is a great thing,perhaps the best of things,and no good thing ever dies." The Shawshank Redemption will not only restore your faith in movies, but in humanity as well.
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Summary: The Most Satisfying Ending In Motion Picture History
Review: The Shawshank Redemption is by far, one of the greatest movies of all time. It is ultimate story of how hope truly never dies, and how good things finally happen to good people. Tim Robbins, in his finest acting job to date, plays the wrongly convicted Andrew Dufresne. He is sent to Shawshank Prison for killing his wife and her lover, and there he meets Red, played by the ever talented (and one of the best voice-over voices of all time) Morgan Freeman. The chemistry between the two is so amazing throughout the entire movie, and you can clearly see it flow. You really begin to feel for Andy and his quiet demeanor peppered with subtle emotions. Just when you think the movie is going a certain way, the plot takes an incredible turn that leaves you sitting there with your mouth open. From this point, just when you think the film is heading towards its almost certain climax, it twists another way, leaving you sitting there, not being able to control your giddy smile. The film is wonderfully written, and the actors were superb. It has a beautiful flow to it, and you can't help but enjoy the masterpiece that you are viewing. You will definately be pleasantly satisfied. This film is an excellent addition to anyone's video collection.
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Summary: "WOW"
Review: THis movie is just incredible. Frank darabont did a fantastic job of transfering this king novella to the sliver screen. It's a movie about a banker wrongfully found guilty of killing his wife and her lover. He is sentenced to to life terms, when he enter's the prison he mets up with a con named Red ( wonderfully played by Morgan Freeman), Red doesn't think very much of Andy at the begining of the film but over time he learns that underneaath Andy's meek surface lies patience and courage enough for ten men. Superbly acted an directed this is a movie for any one who claims to like movies, a must own.
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Summary: ONE OF MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITES
Review: This movie was one of the best movies ever made. When I first heard of it "WRITTEN BY STEPHEN KING" I seriously thought that it was going to be one of those cheap horror flicks. but it was an amazing and brilliant movie (Story Line, Directing) This movie really makes you feel for these two characters (Morgan Freeman, Tim Robbins) once you see this movie you will understand what I am talking about
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