Plot: What’s it about?
Like many movies “The Shawshank Redemption” was one that was initially missed by the masses (it only managed to break even at the box office) and despite being nominated for seven Academy Awards, it failed to win any of them. But great movies don’t always start out that way, time seems to make them age like fine wine. Movies which we now consider classics like “Citizen Kane”, “Singin’ in the Rain” and “It’s a Wonderful Life” were recognized as good movies, but they didn’t have any of the recognition that they have today. And so goes “The Shawshank Redemption”, a movie recognized as being good, but the masses stayed away from it as it appeared to be a depressing movie about life in prison. That and the movie came out in the Fall of 1994, when two box office titans – “Forrest Gump” and “The Lion King” were duking it out. “Forrest Gump”, brilliant in its own right, walked away with the Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor Oscars even though this film is considered by many to be the better movie. The movie, for those who don’t know, was adapted from the Stephen King novel “Different Seasons”, a book composed of four short stories and until this came out, was best known for “The Body” which was the movie that inspired “Stand by Me”. Director Frank Darabont undertook the task of adapting the short story for the screen and took it to Castle Rock Pictures, who had produced “Stand by Me”. Casting was also a bit different as the character of Red was a white Irishman in the book and was portrayed by Morgan Freeman in the movie. This was one of several things changed, but in hindsight we can say that little was wrong.
Tim Robbins plays Andy Dufresne, a banker who was wrongly accused of killing his wife and her lover. He’s sentenced to life in prison at Shawshank prison in Maine, where he meets the men who would ultimately become his best friends. We see the movie through the eyes and insightful narration of Red (Morgan Freeman). His comments and observations shape the plot and how we perceive Andy and those around him. When it comes to “prison movies” there seems to always be a group of people who hang together – maybe that’s the way to get along on the inside. In “The Longest Yard” it was composed of a football team and here it’s a group of convicts who pass the time by betting on which new inmates will or won’t make the night. Andy is a reluctant member of this group, though he prefers to be isolated, he does develop friendships as the years pass. Some of those peculiar friendships include the Warden (Bob Gunton), a man who preaches the bible but whose soul is blacker than most of his inmates. And there’s the Chief of the guards, Byron Hadley (Clancy Brown) who takes charge once the Warden leaves at night – a man who is mad at getting money for his brother’s death because of the ensuing taxes; not at the loss of his brother. Hope is the central storyline here and as they say in the film, “Hope is a dangerous thing”. The movie discovers the power of the human spirit and how it can set someone free, which is the main reason for the film’s continued success.
The movie currently ranks at #3 in the Internet Movie Database’s Top 250 movies. It’s topped only by “The Godfather”, a deserving movie and “The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King”, an undeserving movie. Strangely enough, it was eligible for the American Film Institute’s list of Top 100 movies of all-time, but wasn’t selected. I feel that if the list were chosen today (it was selected in 1998), it would be on the latter list. What “The Shawshank Redemption” shows us is that a movie doesn’t have to be formulaic and star “A” list actors to be successful. The movie is a throwback to movies of the 40’s and 50’s in the tone and direction. Director Frank Darabont went onto film a few other movies in the same tone as this, “The Green Mile” a great movie in its own right (and also a story inspired by Stephen King) and “The Majestic”, an underrated movie as well starring Jim Carrey as a screenwriter. It’s hard to say if many movies made in the last twenty years can truly be considered “Classics”. “Apocalypse Now”, “GoodFellas”, “The Silence of the Lambs”, “Blue Velvet” and “Fargo” certainly stand out as being classified as such and I think I’d put this in that company as well. Suffice it to say that this movie belongs in every DVD collection out there and if, for some reason, you’ve never seen it – it has probably the best 45 minutes of an ending that I’ve ever seen. My mouth literally hit the ground. “The Shawshank Redemption” is certainly a movie that has earned its place among the best ever made.
Video: How does it look?
“The Shawshank Redemption” looks splendid in a new 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer that transcends its predecessor. The image displays a very solid level of detail, without giving way to edge enhancement. Though most of the entire movie features a very muted color palette, there are a few scenes (mainly at the end) that let really sparkle, notably when Morgan Freeman is in the field and the ending scene (though I won’t give anything away if you’re one of the two people out there who hasn’t seen this). There are only a few minor errors that keep this from being perfect. The previous DVD looked good, but what it lacked – this more than makes up for.
Audio: How does it sound?
A rather robust Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is used to great effect. While the majority of the movie is dialogue-driven, Thomas Newman’s score sounds particularly rich and vibrant in several scenes. Dialogue is clean and free of distortion. While the soundtrack isn’t of the same caliber of an action and/or war movie, it still packs a punch. The movie is now ten years old, but Dolby Digital soundtracks have been around that long now and it’s faithfully represented here. Surrounds make their presence known a few times throughout, but the majority is limited to the front stage. The sound is well above average and viewers won’t be disappointed.
Supplements: What are the extras?
“The Shawshank Redemption” was previously available in a non “Special Edition” format, but as time has progressed, so has the movie’s popularity. It was recently re-released for the 10th Anniversary and this accompanying new DVD release has been timed to coincide with that as well. The first disc contains the widescreen version of the movie along with a commentary by Director/Writer Frank Darabont. Darabont provides a rather well thought out and engaging commentary. Though it’s a solo track, he seems to know when to talk and when to shut up and he tells of the shoot and even some mistakes he’s made on the movie (a few have even been corrected digitally on this DVD). While I still had a few unanswered questions, I found it one of the better commentary tracks I’ve listened to. A full-frame theatrical trailer is also included on the first disc.
The second disc contains the rest of the supplements and while there isn’t page after page of them, it’s quality not quantity that counts. Firs up we have two documentaries: “Hope Springs Eternal: A Look Back at The Shawshank Redemption” and “Shawshank: The Redeeming Feature”. The first is new, with new interviews with the cast and crew. Show in anamorphic widescreen, this tells the origins of the story and how it became the movie it is today. The other documentary examines the following of the movie and how it’s grown in popularity throughout the decade. Many of the same actors and crew are interviewed here as well, but they all seem to agree on the importance of the film. One thing I found particularly enjoyable was the spoof on the movie entitled “The Sharktank Redemption” in which the basic premise of the story is the same, except this 20 minute film concentrates on assistants in the cut throat world of the movie industry. It makes a lot more sense when you’re a fan of the movie and I’m wondering how much truth there actually is in this? A photo gallery and some DVD-ROM content round out the special features. “The Shawshank Redemption” is a modern classic that’s destined to only get better as the years progress. This new DVD is a must have for any fan.
