The Shawshank Redemption

There's something about this film that stands alone in the crowded arenas of film history. Even in the busy prison movie wing it stands on its own. The Shawshank Redemption is a big beautiful elephant with love in its eyes and dirt on its feet. It is a calico elephant, and it walks slowly but without the limp or grimace that prison movie animals usually sport. There is something entirely new about this film, and I think that'll be the case for decades to come.

Like One Flew Over the C Nest, Shawshank is an institutional movie that offers brand new perspectives on medium-old themes. It's subject matter is not exactly one of a kind, there are hundreds and I'm sure thousands of prison movies in existence, but the way this movie treats its subject is original. How so? Well, not in any literal sense, it isn't full of quirky plot twists and Mac-Made obscenities or absurdities. It's original in its characters and how they take in the cliché events of their film story. Morgan Freeman is absolutely perfect in his part. He leads the movie through the unknown with a grace and style that wouldn't intelligibly seem appropriate for a prison film. He pulls it off, though, and I don't think anybody but him could have. His toughness is balanced with a sensitivity and intelligence, and it was Freeman's job to avoid corn and cheese in the aisles and rows of such a part's theatrics. He dodged and weaved and ambled through the film with that seeming effortlessness, and it is pure cinematic joy to watch.

Tim Robbins counters Freeman with an equally as good performance. His character is more deviant, he hides things and hides them well while appearing to be open and cored. His real guts are behind a trap door however, and after his escape suddenly all of Robbins' minute details of character make a lot of sense. The smooth emotions and careful nature of his character are meticulously dealt out, with diligence and care. He does not rush or force any point or drama. He lets it breathe within the character himself. Rather than pulling a character inside one's acting body, he reaches out to enter the character's body.

Overall, this film is simple and plain. It is medium paced and thoughtfully written. It is careful to not be obvious or cliché which is an especially difficult task due to the cliché nature of the plot. This story goes well beyond the walls of any parabolic structure, it digs under them and charges right through them. This film is craft. It is one of the best films of the decade and I will be thrilled by and in love with it for a long time to come.