27 years have passed, but nothing can beat this masterpiece. Directed by Frank Darabont, the man who also directed The Mist and The Green Mile, and stars Morgan Freeman who is famous for his very distinctive narrative voice.
Just looking at the director and the cast, it makes sense that The Shawshank
Redemption gets a 9.3 rating on IMDB, which then makes it the highest-rated
film of all time.
If you look at the year of its release, namely 1994, this film is at least
more than 27 years old. But strangely, until now not a single film has been
able to exceed the rating achieved by The Shawshank Redemption.
Actually, what makes this film so special? At least that's the question that
had crossed my mind before watching it. But after watching it, it all starts
to make sense.
The Shawshank Redemption tells the story of a smart banker, Andy Dufresne, who
has to spend time in Shawshank prison after being accused of killing his wife
and her lover. For this crime, Andy was sentenced 2 times to life in Shawshank
prison which seems to be the last place to spend his life.
Throughout the film, the story will focus on Andy Dufresne's story while in
Shawshank prison, about how he survives and goes through the routine of a
normal convict until he makes a valuable friend.
This film gives a real picture of life in prison which may look terrible in
the eyes of ordinary people. If you look at it from the point of view of the
new prisoners, Shawshank prison does look like that, complete with guards who
have almost no mercy to beat you to death if you don't obey or violate the
existing rules.
Even so, in the eyes of the old prisoners, Shawshank prison seemed to have
become a part of their lives. They even consider Shawshank to be a house they
don't want to leave because when they are in the outside world, no one will
know them, and there will be no more privileges they will get like in prison.
There are lots of lessons that can be taken from this film, starting from
friendship, social life, hope, and betrayal. The relatively long duration of
the film (about 140 minutes) makes the story presented perfectly from all
sides, both from the message, and the characterizations, everything is
integrated into a work of film that is worth it for you to watch at least once
a lifetime.
To be honest, after watching it, the Shawshank Redemption film immediately has
its part in my mind, like making a memory to remember every part of the scene
from this film which is so hard to forget. As Slank said, too sweet to forget.
Many elements make The Shawshank Redemption an unforgettable masterpiece. A
small example can be seen in how this film's storytelling model works. From
start to finish, the plot is presented in a very constant manner, neither fast
nor slow, keeping my eyes glued to the screen while watching it.
Andy Dufresne's characterization, played by Tim Robbins, is also brilliant. As
a quiet banker, Andy Dufresne managed to make a cold personal impression from
the first time he appeared. Even the judges at his trial did not think twice
about sentencing, because from the start his eyes always looked blank, like a
cold-blooded psychopath who never regretted what he had done.
But behind his cold demeanor, Andy Dufresne has a hope that he has always
wanted. This was always clearly seen on his face, which seemed to always be
thinking about something that no one knew about. Andy Dufresne's dream will
also be revealed slowly, making his character's true identity begin to emerge.
Redd (Morgan Freeman), who became Andy's close friend, also became a side
character who made a lasting impression in this film. His role as someone who
can get everything makes him the right person to be Andy Dufresne's partner in
crime. Unlike other inmates, Redd has known that Andy is someone special to
him from the first time he was put in Shawshank prison. And sure enough,
throughout the film, the closeness between the two will end in an ending that
you will never forget.
SCORE
10/10
As a mystery drama film, Shawshank Redemption can keep those who watch it
glued to the screen with a plot that is presented very well. I don't know,
even though the duration is more than 2 hours, it doesn't feel like watching
this film at all, you know - I just finished watching it, I enjoyed it so
much.
For lovers of the mystery and prison break genres, The Shawshank Redemption
should be on your list. You don't need to worry about the year it was
released, because in my own opinion, the directing style of this film is very
good, it's just nice to look at, there are no scenes that bother the eye, so I
can say that there is not the slightest gap to make this film look bad,
although if you look at the year of release, this film can be considered "old
school".