Shawshank Redemption

[picklepants]

Watched this amazing film last night for about the 30th time and I started to wonder................................
1) is there ANYONE out there who doesn't think it's brilliant?
2) what is it about the film that makes it so good - if I describe it to someone who hasn't seen it I can never do it justice & I can never explain WHY it is so fantastic (apart from having the amazing Morgan Freeman in it!)

[PinkFizz]

That is my favourite film of all time! I can't explain it either - but Im completely spellbound every time I watch it,even thought I know it off by heart.It is the sheer simplicity of it all - and the acting is out of this world.

[andy-hughes]

The risk the director took was to make a film that works in the way that Stephen King;s stories work - which is why the film is so long. King takes his time to set his scene and draw his characters. His sense of detail and time are what appeal, and for once, the film makers saw this as the strength of the story, and created the film in the same way.

King's characters are always flawed, but essentially human, people getting the best out of their lives that they can, and King believevs in the fundamental goodness of the ordinary man. That is the message that shines through this film - a good man made a mistake, paid for it, and came out the other side. It's a message for everyone,. which is why it strikes a chord in so many people.

Because of the short attention span of the average movie audience, the time and care taken by King as a writer would get shortened so much, the essential pleasure is destroyed. This time they took their time, and did it right.

Consider that this is only a 'short' story in King's terms - maybe they'll make 'proper' version of 'The Stand' which should clock in at about twelve hours!

[Backdrifter]

I can think of why it appeals to so many people.

The acting is terrific; it tells a compelling story; it wrongfoots us a couple of times so we keep watching for more surprises; it conveys the sense of time passing better than most films I can think of; it says a lot about friendship; it mixes uplifting stuff with sad stuff; and it gives us a glimpse into an alien world (prison) that thankfully most of us won't ever experience. And it has goodies and baddies, and we want to see the goodies win.

All of that is a pretty potent mix and has a lot of stuff that we respond to. Add in the cinematography and direction and it elevates it still further. I'm sure these are the reasons it appears on so many people's top tens!

By the way can I ask that subsequent posts don't refer to any of the 'revelations'. I already saw a thread recently that casually mentioned the main one towards the end. We can't assume that everyone reading this board has seen the film!

[rogerr]

To keep it short, I totally agree with all of you.
R

[JOEYGREEN]

This is my best film of all time. When me and my partner got together we must've watched it about 20 times and now he just doesn't want to watch it any more (although he does think its an excellent film) but I could watch it every week. Absolutely fantastic film.

[sunflower68]

I have to agree with all of the above; nothing more really to say. I wish I could be watching it again for the first time, when I didn't know how the story would keep unfolding and unfolding. I love it when he gets the guys the beers on the tarmacked rooftop and I love it when Freeman finds that tin box. I always cry at the end.

[Mattk]

which makes it all the more astounding that when it was 1st released,critics panned it and cinema go-ers stayed away in their droves !

[Backdrifter]

Mattk I'm not sure it was "panned" but it certainly didn't do much at the box office. I can count myself proudly among those who bothered to go to the cinema to see it!

The scene that always gets me is the one where Andy and Red are sitting against the wall, after Andy's come out of solitary and he gives his "get busy living... or get busy dying" speech. For me, their performances reach their absolute peak in that sequence, especially Robbins really conveying the sense of a cold, aloof, unexpressive man on the point of cracking. I always list that scene in "favourite scenes" threads.

The original question also invited people to say they didn't like it, but no takers yet, I see.

[Sooper]

It is for me one of the best feel good films of all time and i think it is criminal that it didnt win any oscars and was robbed by Forest Gump which is appalling compared to this masterpiece Shawshank quite rightly deserves all of the praise that it now gets and quite right too! A gem of a movie in my opinion.

[Cetti]

Thanks Backdrifter for your insight.

There is nothing worse than watching a film and knowing all the twists and turns. We were lent this film about six months ago and totally forgot we had it, but after reading this and many other threads concerning this story will drag it out of the cupboard very soon.

Are there any really graphic bits as this tends to put me off some films? I prefer to use my imagination rather than be force fed a directors idea of reality.

[sunflower68]

Hard to say if you will be put off cetti; there are graphic bits (tho not many and not too bad in comparison to some). They are very brief and not overdone,if that is what you mean. You will be so gripped it will not disturb you, I am sure. Give it a go, go on.

[Cetti]

Thanks sunflower, and yes, I will definitely give it a go.

[picklepants]

And make sure you let us know what you think!! Just settling down to watch The Green Mile now - another fab film but not quite as incredible as Shawshank.

[Dagman]

I have just watched it for the first time, what a brill movie, how did I miss it all these years? A hard act to follow tho! any others like this out there? Loved fried green tomatoes too. There has to be more...?