Why is shawshank redemption such a good movie

Tim Robbins plays magnificently Andy , an inmate finding solace and eventual redemption , Tim provides his usual talent for playing ambiguous roles , as his notable skills are put to good use.

Along with Robbins' best screen acting there are various Oscar-worthy supporting characters with special mention for Morgan Freeman as the good fixer who brings his ordinary grace to what could have been a thankless role , the veteran James Withmore as the crow-keeping librarian , the sympathetic newcomer inmate Gil Bellows ,William Sadler , Mark Rolston and the ruthless guardian Clancy Brown and , of course , the egoistic and nasty governor excellently played by Bob Gunton.

It contains a colorful and evocative cinematography by Roger Deakins. And an enjoyable and really feeling musical score by Thomas Newman. In his engrossing direction debut ,Darabont avoids boring by fleeing most prison movie cliches. It results to be a pleasure of discovering a first-time filmmaker with evident respect for the intelligence of his audience , giving sensitive scenes , and brave enough to let roles details accumulate without recourse the excessively maudlin and over-sentimentality.

It is a true masterpiece , being marvelously acted and perfectly paced. Tim Robbins plays Andy Dufresne, a man convicted of double murder who is sent to jail, eventually befriending other lifers including Morgan Freeman's Ellis Redding. Exceptionally handsome adaptation of Stephen King's short story "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption" in the film version, it's really Raquel Welch, not Rita, who aids in the ultimate twist.

On the surface, it's another prison-genre picture with the usual stereotypes such as a rotten warden, a cruel guard, a few homosexuals, and a quirky old-timer who doesn't want his parole.

However, the film's emotions run surprisingly deep, justice is well served by the conclusion, and several of the cast members carve out amazing, three-dimensional characterizations. The finale is pure fantasy, however it does provide the audience with the release it needs, and Robbins and Freeman are excellent. Long, involved, but engrossing and satisfying, "Shawshank" was not a big hit at the box-office but found a devoted following on video and cable.

Why it is ranked so highly. TxMike 12 November Over the years many IMDb users have wondered why "The Shawshank Redemption" was ranked so high, and many "wished" that in time it would sink to a lower, more appropriate slot. Many analyses missed the mark. Following is the real reason it is ranked so high, and why it will never sink much, if any. And I hope it never does. This film deals with several "hot" buttons in us.

A cheating spouse. A husband wrongly convicted and sent to prison. Corrupt law enforcement. A prison where inmates get maimed or killed. A smart inmate who plots a brilliant escape.

The corrupt warden getting his just reward. Two friends being re-united with a good life ahead of them. Combined with a good script and good cinematography. What's not to like about this story?

I have seen this movie a number of times. Each time I get something new out of it that I either didn't see before, or had not made a mental connection to. I recently year upgraded my personal copy from DVD to Blu-Ray and both the picture and sound are better.

This film continues to spark the occasional argument of whether it really should be rated on IMDb as the top film of all time. I don't know exactly where "Shawshank Redemption" should rank on the all-time list. That is akin to comparing home run hitters or golfers from different centuries. The games are quite different, as is true in cinema. I gave this film a "10", and on my list it is in one of the best movies of all time, along with a number of others.

At the same time, I recognize that everyone else has a different opinion. I don't really see any value in trying to decide a rank order for all time.

Each film should be appreciated for what it has to offer, no more, and no less. Quinoa 14 July This film is probably the best life-in-prison film ever made. It depicts one man's time in the big house for something he supposedly didn't do. But he isn't alone; he is joined by fellow inmate who is the only guilty person in Shawshank Red played also very well by Morgan Freeman. Freeman narrates the life in The Shawshank prison all the way up until the end not to mention some very memorable escape scenes.

Very memorable, showing what movies are made of. Based on Stephen King's novel one of his best and adapted for the screen and directed by Frank Darabont, who 5 years later would write and direct the Green Mile, another good but can't be matched to this one prison movie.

An outstanding film dealing with prisons as seen by several prisoners. Many social problems are discussed here. The picture earned a well-deserved best picture Oscar nomination. It certainly should have tied with the winner, the equally good "Forrest Gump. The film shows what prison life is all about.

Subjects dealing with prison survival, brutality, corruption and ultimate redemption are well shown. As the corrupt, insane warden invoking religion to justify his actions, Mr.

Gunton gives a worthy performance. This is a film of rare power. James Whitmore was equally memorable as a prisoner who was unable to adjust to the outside after his parole following a 50 year stint.

This shows that people who have been incarcerated for such a long period, need some sort of readjustment training before they rejoin society. For Whitmore, freedom meant ultimate doom. Politics is also depicted in a negative way in this gritty film. This is a memorable viewing experience for audiences. This is probably one of the best films of all time.

IMDb ranks this best film of all time. It can arguably be the best film of all time considering that its message of hope and inspiration to everyone. It is a short story from Stephen King. The Shawshank Redemption is a poignant story of Andy Dufresne,a wrongly convicted killer who was sent for two life sentences to Shawshank Prison in Maine.

It tells us on how Andy lived inside the walls of the Shawshank,being raped from time to time by convicted homosexuals felons,his friendship with Red,having a sense of hope despite of his seemly hopeless situation,making the most of his life by using his accounting skills by helping the guards in their income tax and cleaning the warden's dirty money and to finally escaping from prison through a hole in the wall hidden under poster of women such as Rita Hayworth and Rachel Welsh.

Great acting especially by Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. Direction was superb by first time director Frank Darabont. The musical score was also good. I view this film from time to time to remind myself that there is hope in all situations even those I consider hopeless ones. It also a story of letting go of hatred and letting love flow into your heart despite of being around despicable characters. Aside from that,this film is neither contrived nor manipulative as it is full of surprises.

It will truly be enjoyed by anybody who love great films and those who wants films that can truly uplift the human spirit. In the end,this movie will be talked about for the next 20 to 50 or more years to come.

Personally it my favorite film of more than a thousand films I seen in my life for it is a classic film on hope and redemption. I like the bit when the warden threw the rock through the poster. Relentless Storytelling tedg 4 November I reviewed this film recently with a specific question in mind. At this writing, this film is ranked by IMDB viewers as the second best film ever made.

This was my question. The acting is good. Robbins and Freeman are quality craftsmen in the Caine and Hackman tradition. But these are not truly great actors and in any case, they are only asked to play appealing persons, deliberately less-dimensional than real as opposed to believably hyper-real which is much harder.

The director is a first-timer, and it shows. There is simple framing and staging here. In fact, there seems to be a deliberate strategy to be as plain as possible. And that is the core of where I think people find the appeal of this film.

The story is very tight in the sense of narrative flow. All the chunks are the same size, with no fancy rhythm. To this day I'm still wondering how this masterpiece didn't win a single Oscar.?? This movie is so good on so many levels. The more I watch it , the more I appreciate it. It should be a required movie to be seen by all students in any and all educational institutions.

Just a masterpiece of film. Close Menu. Submit Search. Nomadland Dir. Pedro Dom: Jovem, Orgulhoso e Inconsequente. Navigate Left. Morgan Freeman's sensational voice. Andy himself said : 'All I know Improve this answer. Andrew Martin Andrew Martin There's another important point: It's a film both men and women can watch, and it doesn't have one of those predictable and boring textbook romances forced onto it.

Peter: Definitely, a very good point. It's also very well written I suppose that's mostly, but not entirely, covered by the mention of the plot by perhaps the second-best-selling author of the 20th century, Stephen King.

Love him or hate him, he knows how to write in a way that affects people. The fact that Shawshank is not a horror story means people who are not into horror get to experience King's writing and many have found they really like it.

Every part of the movie is very well done. The soundtrack, costumes, cinematography, etc. I think "Morgan Freeman's sensational voice" qualifies as a "widely-used cinematic technique Rita Hayworth's beauty, charm, inspiration and cover-up.

IMHO, that's part of what makes the story unique. Also, as cinema goes, that slow "gif" in which this actress appears is as potent as the hanging poster which hides the escape tunnel. Show 1 more comment. Johnny Bones Johnny Bones The material King's story was extraordinary, and the actors and director really understood it and mined the very best out of it.

I guess that falls under "amazing performances" I should say, props to screenwriter s as well. A good guy finds himself in a seemingly impossible situation but triumphs in the end, helping his friend and defeating an evil villain along the way Add a comment.

From IMDb's own explanation , the following explains how their rankings are determined How do you calculate the rank of movies and TV shows on the Top Rated Charts? It is essentially based on highest average ratings, taking into account the number of ratings. Written by Stephen King who is and was at the time considered one of the greatest American authors of our time. Period piece depicting life in an American prison in the early s. Classic story of a man wrongly accused gaining his revenge and redemption.

Great twist including an elaborate and fantastical prison escape a la Count of Monte Cristo. Compelling and sympathetic characters. The hero wins in the end due to a combination of book and street smarts. Wonderful casting and acting. Community Bot 1. This may be true in reference to IMDb specifically, but it's on many of the top films lists, including the AFI list where it sits at 72 of The question specifically asked why it was on the IMDb top unless I'm misunderstanding.

It just linked to IMDB as an example of one site that considered it important. If those aren't the same thing, well, then the question contains a false premise and it's still valuable to illustrate both parts :- — Steve Jessop.

I hope those who down voted are aware of the ambiguity of the question before it was edited, which was when I added this answer. Little did he know by then, that his heavy narrative in the film, would become his identity for the rest of his life. Morgan's very characteristic voice made him one of the greatest voice-over artists in the world. Wherever he goes till date, people ask him to narrate a few famous dialogues from the film. Under Frank Darabont's direction, the film bagged seven Academy Award nominations which are till date the highest for any Stephen King film adaptation.

However, most of the awards were swept by the other two high rated nominees — 'Pulp Fiction' and 'Forrest Gump'. No doubt these two films have garnered undisputable viewership over the years and are also critically acclaimed, The Shawshank Redemption's legacy stands resolute and larger than life.