Review of "The Shawshank Redemption," DVD version

Review of

The Shawshank Redemption, DVD version

Five out of five stars

This is one of the best acted and storied movies ever made. In my opinion, it is Tim Robbins best performance and Morgan Freeman is also superb as a man that is in prison for life and so is a fixture within the rough culture of the penitentiary. The villains are the corrupt prison warden and his prime guard that will do whatever he requests.

 Robbins plays Andy Dufresne, a mild-mannered banker that was wrongfully convicted of murder and is now in Maine’s Shawshank State Prison. He is truly a money man and is confused yet demonstrates a strong will. Freeman plays “Red” Redding, a lifer that knows the culture and does what he can to help Dufresne acclimate to his new environment.

 It is a tough situation, while some fellow inmates are friendly and helpful, others are brutal, seeing him as a bunny that can be exploited. Dufresne keeps his financial wits about him, so when he overhears a guard talking about financial issues, he naively reassumes his former role as a financial advisor. After a tense initial situation, his explanation convinces the guard that he knows what he is talking about. Dufresne then becomes financial advisor to the warden and even the guards, a position that gains him few explicit perks other than the opportunity to exercise his financial acumen. Yet, through all this time, he is planning a masterstroke that allows him to get revenge against his tormentors and eventually, reunites him with Redding.

 Robbins is superb in carrying out his role as a mild-mannered financial genius that happens to be in prison. He never seems to get excited or do anything against the rules, fooling everyone in the prison with his actions. The reader feels empathy for Dufresne while despising the two strong villains, leading to mental applause when he pulls his surprise.