Welcome one and all to part 24 of my weekly blog, The 52 In 52. Before I begin I want to encourage you all to check out last weeks post about Mortal Engines. The concept is simple, each week I watch and review one of many DVDs or Blu Ray that have been gathering dust on my shelf.
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This week I have a week off work and my wife actually made the suggestion that I finally watch The Shawshank Redemption. I know, I know I can't believe I've never watched this film either but, hey I've never seen any of The Godfather films, Scarface or a whole heap of "must see" films.
If you're unfamiliar with the story of The Shawshank Redemption it is based on the novella Rita Hayworth And Shawshank Redemption and follows the story of recently jailed Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) and his bond with Red (Morgan Freeman).
I was a little hesitant to watch The Shawshank Redemption as it is one of many films that I have been told over the years that is the best film ever made and was worried it wouldn't live up to expectations but, I have to admit I really enjoyed it. Whilst I wouldn't say it's the best film ever made I would say it is very close to the top of the list in my opinion.
The way in which the story was told kept me engaged from the very beginning. There was very little in the way of exposition for Red other than his rejected parole please and the same could be said for all of the main cast of cellmates. I loved how the film opened not focusing on Andy's crime but, simply leaving the fact that he might not have committed any crime at all in the background and even after new facts come to light they are simply glossed over. The story is told in a fast paced manner, using Morgan Freemans narration as a way of piecing the story together like a series of anecdotes. The 3rd act and finale of the film unravelled in such a way that the main driving factor of Andy and his mission to get out of prison simply became part of an anecdote of Reds.
I loved the way in which the film was shot. There are some great flyover shots of the prison that really show how big the prison is. I loved the way in which a lot of the violent scenes were shot so it looked like they were in the shadows or obscured in some way, this really stripped a lot of the brutality out of the prison experience. As Andy finds his place in the prison the colour pallet changes from a bleak grey and dull at the beginning to a very vivid colourful almost hopeful by the end of the film.
The score is fantastic and a real driving factor behind the film. I love how a lot of adaptations of King's work have distinctive scores and they all fit with the story being told.
Tim Robbins is fantastic throughout. He plays Andy with a softness that on the surface could be a strange choice for a character convicted of murder but it fits perfectly. Throughout the story as he faces trials and problems Robbins plays Andy with a serene calmness that plays well against the darkness in the prison.
Overall I have to admit I really should have watched The Shawshank Redemption a lot sooner. This is a classic example of how Stephen King can really tell a great story. Both Time Robbins and Morgan Freeman are fantastic throughout. I thoroughly enjoyed the film from start to finish.
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