One of my favorite things to do is watch people go on to imdb.com's "Top 250" movie list for the first time, and watch their reaction as they see that some random movie called The Shawshank Redemption beat out The Godfather for the top spot. I then proceed to never take their cinematic opinions seriously in the future, as well as to judge their intelligence (or lack thereof) ever so slightly.
Simply the story of Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) as told through his inmate buddy Red's (Morgan Freeman) eyes and voice, this movie moves along at a slower pace than one that will usually hold the average viewer's attention. That's probably why it went unnoticed when it first came out, but over the years people have begun to acknowledge its genius and remarkable script, giving it the acclaim that it has always deserved.
Morgan Freeman's voice keeps us entranced throughout the entire film, ripping apart our emotions one by one as the story of a lifetime unfolds in a manner we could never have expected. If some media channel or inconsiderate friend hasn't ruined this movie for you already, then you are in for one of the best stories told in our generation, with a plot twist that will leave you pressing the rewind button over and over again to make sure that it really did happen.
But the true beauty of this movie comes from something we almost never experience. In fact, the only other movie I can think of that made me feel this way is Slumdog Millionaire. And the feeling is simple: wanting to cry at the end of a movie out of happiness. Think about it; it never happens. And this movie is one of those where you almost stand up and cheer as two men slowly redeem and rehabilitate what was once so wrongly taken away from them. In a world where every director tries to make us cry by making us sad, Shawshank triumphs by doing the same but adding a smile to the mix.
Simply the story of Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) as told through his inmate buddy Red's (Morgan Freeman) eyes and voice, this movie moves along at a slower pace than one that will usually hold the average viewer's attention. That's probably why it went unnoticed when it first came out, but over the years people have begun to acknowledge its genius and remarkable script, giving it the acclaim that it has always deserved.
Morgan Freeman's voice keeps us entranced throughout the entire film, ripping apart our emotions one by one as the story of a lifetime unfolds in a manner we could never have expected. If some media channel or inconsiderate friend hasn't ruined this movie for you already, then you are in for one of the best stories told in our generation, with a plot twist that will leave you pressing the rewind button over and over again to make sure that it really did happen.
But the true beauty of this movie comes from something we almost never experience. In fact, the only other movie I can think of that made me feel this way is Slumdog Millionaire. And the feeling is simple: wanting to cry at the end of a movie out of happiness. Think about it; it never happens. And this movie is one of those where you almost stand up and cheer as two men slowly redeem and rehabilitate what was once so wrongly taken away from them. In a world where every director tries to make us cry by making us sad, Shawshank triumphs by doing the same but adding a smile to the mix.
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