THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION
US, 1994, 142 minutes, Colour.
Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, James Whitmore, Bob Gunton, William Sadlier, Clancy Brown, Paul McCrane?.
Directed by Frank Darabont.
The Shawshank Redemption is an excellent film. It received an unexpected Oscar nomination for best film of 1994. The screenplay, by director Frank Darabont, was also nominated, as was Morgan Freeman for his fine performance as a long-time prisoner who is in charge of wheeling and dealing within the prison. (Shawshank is the name of the Maine prison, the setting for the film.)
A prison drama does not seem to be the setting for such an interesting film because there have been so many prison movies. However, one thinks of Papillon in the '70s as one of those fine films that transcended its prison setting.
Tim Robbins is a young financial adviser, found guilty of murder of his wife and her lover and sentenced to Shawshank. The action takes place over 20 years of Robbins' sentence, from 1948 to the late '60s. A loner, he eventually gains the friendship of the Morgan Freeman group and is relied on by Governor (a sinister Bob Gunton) and staff.
The film is a satisfying mix of the expected and the surprising, an intelligent adult drama that relies on a thoughtful response rather than sensationalism. The film is based on a Stephen King short story, Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption.
1. Significance and tone of the title: prison, Andy's experience, Red and the other prisoners?
2. The Stephen King basis? The amplification of a short story?
3. The prison settings: location, building, interiors, exteriors? Significant locations within the prison? The escape tunnel? The contrast with Mexico? Songs and musical score? The film clips - especially from Gilda?
4. Red's voice-over: Morgan Freeman's style and diction, Red's perspective, judgments on the situations, on Andy, supplying information, pushing forward the plot, shaping audience expectations, ironic tones?
5. The opening sequence and Andy's situation, the killing and the court? Andy, drinking, the gun? The vehemence of the prosecutor and judge? Andy as non-emotional? Guilty? The sentence? Audiences believing him or not? The theme of the "wrong man" - or not?
6. The film's use of prison conventions, audience expectations of prisoner behaviour, routines, regulations, punishments, the effects of enclosure, the governor and the guards?
7. Tim Robbins as Andy, self-contained, going to prison, chained in the line, the arrival, the prisoners' speculations, the delousing, the cell, his not crying out? His adapting to prison life, the loneliness, the routines, the laundry work - and the homosexual group and their provocation, the shower, the fight, the rapes, the effect on him? The reaction of Red and his friends, their support, growing friendship? The initial encounter with Brooks in the dining room with the bug? The request for the stone hammer and the irony about digging his way through a tunnel?
8. Morgan Freeman as Red, the group of friends, watching the incomers, the bets, their being together, the meals, the yard, recreating? Red as the agent - his contacts? Cigarettes as the currency? His power? The bets about crying out in the night, the range of prisoners, the fat man and his being beaten by Hardey? Their reaction to his death? In for life? Their decision to protect Andy? Changing Andy - and Andy changing them?
9. The prison governor, his initial speech, fundamentalist religion, the Bible, anti-bad language - yet his sexual content, his corruption, the management of the prison, power, his spot-searching?
10. Hardey and the guards, their brutality, the routines, the murder of the fat prisoner? The ethos amongst the guards? Their attitudes towards the prisoners?
11. The character of Brooks - the worm, the bird, 50 years, his work in the library, delivering the books, friendships, reflections, his not wanting to leave, being institutionalised, getting the knife? Andy helping him? Going out, going to work in the supermarket, alone in the room, scratching his name, writing the letter, hanging himself? His comments on the world of changes from 50 years - cars, in a rush and busy?
12. Andy and the years in prison, the volunteers to work on the roof, overhearing the discussion about Hardey's finances? Making the offer, Hardey's brutal reaction? Acceptance, buying the beer? Andy's smile of satisfaction - of doing something and being alive? Hardey and the consequences - bashing the homosexual group, the man unable to walk again? The warders and their getting financial advice, the team of warders from other prisons? The officer and the advice on scholarship? Andy with his desk, office, respect? The governor's interest, keeping the books, the money deals, laundering the money, the documentation in the safe? Andy's plan, creating a fictitious person with documents, the untraceable money? His decision to write letters about the library, five years and the sending of the cheque? The continued letters, the grant, the second-hand books, buying new books, the library as his achievement?
13. The film indicating the passing of time, events in the US outside the prison? Impacting on the prisoners? The sequence with Gilda? Getting the Rita Hayworth poster? The change with Marilyn Monroe, Raquel Welch? The irony of the hole behind the poster?
14. The young prisoner, his cockiness, befriending Red and the group, with Andy? His wanting lessons, tough style, learning to read, the build-up to the exam, his anger at not doing well, his passing? Andy as teacher and father figure? The pain of the young man's death?
15. His story, the flashback and the truth about Andy's wife and the murder? Telling the guards? The governor and his listening to the boy - and Hardy shooting him? Andy and his listening to the story, threatening the governor, the governor stopping Andy and putting him in solitary for months?
16. Andy, seemingly bowed, the reaction of the other prisoners? The irony of his finishing his work with the governor, cleaning his shoes, taking his clothes, the detail of the escape, the plan, through the sewers? Going to the banks and retrieving the money? Leaving the instructions for Red?
17. Red and his visits to the parole board, his patter and their refusal? His being institutionalised, not wanting to go, changing his mind after Andy's postcard? The parallel experience with Brooks, the supermarket, the possibility of killing himself, the choice of staying alive? The visit to the cemetery, finding the money, the boarder, finding Andy on the beach, a future?
18. Andy and the information to the newspapers, the arrests, Hardy and his collapse, the governor deciding to shoot himself?
19. Themes of good and evil, justice, decisions and achievement? The nature of friendship in prison? Transformation and redemption?
