Why The Shawshank Redemption should be appreciated

Morgan Freeman. Yeah, I knew that would get your attention. Morgan Freeman is in only one of the movies we have watched this trimester, and that movie is The Shawshank Redemption. Directed by Frank Darabont, this film is the one that I believe deserves the most praise out of the ones we've seen. This is due to many reasons- the first being Morgan Freeman, of course. It also has beautiful music, to accentuate the most dramatic scenes in it, and carries with it a very powerful message about hope that resonates with people of all generations.

As mentioned earlier, Morgan Freeman. The character portrayed by him has a lot of lines, and a lot of voiceovers. Morgan Freeman, with the incredible voice he has, nails them all. But Morgan Freeman isn't the only good actor in this movie. Tim Robbins, playing the rather odd character Andy Dufresne, portrays the character rather perfectly. In the book, Dufresne is said to have a very odd walk, one that makes it seem like he doesn't care that he's in prison. Tim Robbins has this gait, in the film, which perfectly portrays the book's description of him. All the actors in this film do a really great job being their characters, and Morgan Freeman's Oscar nomination for this film tells me that I am not the only one who thinks that.

The music in this film, composed by Thomas Newman, was also nominated for an oscar, and with good reason. Thomas Newman has composed music for many great films, including The Green Mile, Wall-E, and Skyfall. He can't have gotten so many composing jobs without being good at it, and his work in the Shawshank Redemption is some of his best. One part of the soundtrack in particular I believe to be his best, and that part is the track Brooks Was Here.

 Brooks Was Here actually plays twice in the film, once during a very emotional scene near the middle of the film, and once again when the same situation befalls Morgan Freeman's character. The first time, the scene ends in the death of the character being followed, and having that same scene happen, and having the exact same music play, heightens the audience's emotional connection with what's happening. Repeating a track like this can also build tension without the movie doing so, and Brooks Was Here does. Because of the bad ending to the first scene it plays in, the audience is unconsciously thinking that the same thing is going to happen to Morgan Freeeman's character, and his is the one the audience has been following the most often, and the one they have the most emotional connection to. Thomas Newman is able to play with the audience's emotions only by writing really good music.

The message of The Shawshank Redemption is one that resonates with people of all ages and demographics. It is said in the last line of the film: "I hope.". The hope depicted by the entire story as a whole is real-feeling, and tangible. The movie states this outright many times, most noteably at the end, but throughout the movie, all of the characters at one point or another show a hope that they would like to get out of prison. The efforts gone to by Andy Dufresne to do just that inspire many audience members watching him do it.

The Shawshank Redemption is one of the best films I have seen in quite some time. I enjoyed it immensely and highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't seen it yet. All the acting and directing is superb, the music is something I would put on an iPod, and the overarching message of hope is one that will be heard and repeated for a very long time.