The Shawshank Redemption (DVD)Summary: Two convicts, one white and one black, never give up the dream of freedom, and together they turn hope and friendship into an uplifting bond no prison can ever take away.
Video Librarian Reviews
Initially released in 1994 to mixed reviews, this lengthy but engrossing adaptation of a Stephen King novella would go on to earn seven Academy Award nominations... Opening in 1947, when bank vice president Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) is convicted on circumstantial evidence for the murder of his wife and her lover, and sentenced to life imprisonment in Shawshank Prison, the film charts Dufresne's quiet but tenacious endurance, which wins him the respect of both hardened prisoners--like "Red" (Morgan Freeman)--and the duplicitous warden (Bob Gunton), who puts the new fish to work on his personal financial matters. The Shawshank Redemption's length--nearly two-and-a-half hours--makes the film tough going for some viewers, but the format actually plays into director Frank Darabont's hands since audiences experience (briefly) the same tedium, punctuated by bursts of brutality and horror, that wears down prisoners sentenced to long terms. Made with painstaking exactitude, stylish direction, and memorable performances, this is a rewarding picture that's guaranteed to linger in one's memory...Highly recommended.
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