The Shawshank Redemption is a movie I have watched a number of times. What I like so much about this film is that it is just as amazing every time. It is one of those movies that never gets old and I believe that when I am 50 years I will still enjoy it as much as I do today. At first glance it might not seem all that special. There are numerous movies about life in prison and even more about hope and redemption. What The Shawshank Redemption does is combining all these elements and a whole lot more into one fantastic package.
The movie has a calm and relaxing way of telling the story mainly due to the nature of Andy Dufresne, who is a calm and down to earth kind of man. We follow more than 15 years of his life behind the walls of Shawshank prison as he makes friends and enemies, help guards and even runs the wardens scams. We also see his achievements and his belief in people. The script is based on the short story by Stephen King and is magically put on the big screen by Frank Darabont. The movie also features one of the best plot twists in cinema and will undoubtedly make your mouth hang open.
Tim Robbins does one of the best roles in his career as Andy Dufresne and Morgan Freeman is not far behind playing Red. Morgan Freeman is also the narrator and his calm voice further adds to the experience. But it is the masterful directing by Frank Darabont that turned this into a classic. Every scene has a purpose. We learn a lot about what life behind walls can do to people and what being institutionalized means. And of course the most important, always have hope!
The movie is unique in the way that several viewings only add to the experience. After the first time the viewer will obviously know about the plot twist, however this is where all the clues come in. The scenes are filled with clues and I kept finding hints pointing to the ending I never saw the first time around. It is the amazing way the story is told that makes you overlook these small yet important details until you watch it again.
The Shawshank Redemption is a true masterpiece and deserves to be among the best movies ever made. 10/10