The Best Prison Film

Directed by Frank Darabont. With Tim Robbins, Morgan
Freeman, and Bob Gunton."The Shawshank Redemption"
is a short story written by Stephen King.The main theme
of this film is about two imprisoned men bond over a
number of years, finding solace and eventual redemption
through acts of common decency.

The film portrays Andy[Tim Robbins] spending nearly
two decades in the cruelty of Shawshank State Prison,
a fictional penitentiary in Maine, and his friendship
with Red [Morgan Freeman], a fellow inmate. It is
frequently ranked amongst the greatest prison movies
of all time.

This story starts in 1947 when a young banker,Andy,
gets convicted of murdering his wife and her lover
on mostly circumstantial evidence.Andy is shipped
out to Shawshank prison where eventually he meets
up with Red, who is a clever supplier of contraband.
Eventually Andy and Red become friends but Andy is
beaten and raped by a group of sadistic inmates
known as the "Sisters".

However Andy's knowledge of finances makes him a
favorite of not only the guards but also of the
warden. He sets up a makeshift office and as his
clientele grows. He's now doing financial favors
for the entire prison staff and guards from other
prisons.

He is once again beaten by the "sisters", but this
time the guards commit viglante punishement against
the Sisters leader[Boggs] who ends up hospitalized.
After this incident Andy is never bothered by any
of the inmates again. Boggs is finally paroled,
but he commites suicide by hanging himself. It
seems that he could not cope with life outside
the prison wallsafter being incarcerated for
many years.

Warden Samual Norton [Bob Gunton] senses the money
he could make off of Andy's skills and sets up a
program where he puts prison inmates to work at
local construction projects.Andy hides the embezzled
funds for Norton but when a new prisoner enters the
picture and confirms Andy's claim of innocence.
Norton,fearing the worst if Andy is set free,
has Hardley[Clancy Brown], the prison guard
captain, kill the new inmate and puts Andy
in solitary confinement. He tells Andy that
he will withdraw the guards protection if he
does not continue to conspire with him. Andy
spends two months in solitary confinement.

Andy manages to escape after 19 years and assumes
the fake identity that he had created for the warden
for the sole purpose of concealing the warden's
embezzlement.Andy withdraws the funds,even wearing
Norton's clean suit and shoes, that he had deposited
for the warden over the years.He also sends evidence of
the scams to a local newspaper that exposes the warden.
Upon being confronted, Norton is arrested but ends up
committing suicide in his own office.

Soon after Red is paroled and ends up digging up the
money that Andy had told him about earlier and he
eventually reunites with Andy on the coast of Mexico.

This film seems to make us feel as if we are part
of a family even thou it is set inside prison walls.
I think that the clue to this is in part of the title
"Redemption". I also believe that through Andy's
exampleof being true to oneself and never giving
is a prime example of the lesson that this film offers.

Much of the movie involves quiet, solitude, and
philosophical discussions about life. Even today many
people value this film with reverence. It's popularity
just continues to grow.And that is why I consider
"The Shawshank Redemption" the best prison film of
all times.