The Expression Hub

Starring: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, Clancy Brown,James Whitmore

Directed By: Frank Darabont

Genre: Thriller-crime

“Hope forever tells us that tomorrow will be better.”

-Richard Daly

Apart from friendship, you also associate the month of August with the spirit of Independence. This is because my country, India attained independence in this month on 15th August after being ruled for nearly 150 years by the British. It is because of the endless sacrifice made by our freedom fighters that we are able to breathe freely in our country. It is because of their sacrifices that we are able to live peacefully in times when a lot of countries are facing uncertain times as well as situations. That is how freedom feels . This is because if we were not free, then imagine the atrocities we would have had to face. If we were not free, then could we have voiced our opinions as freely as we are able to in today’s times? But even though we are free, we are still lacking freedom in a lot of aspects. We have a long way to go before we are able to actually call ourselves free. Can you think of such areas where we still are bound by shackles which need to be broken ? Would love to hear about the same in the comments section. As of now, wishing all my fellow country mates in the country and residing abroad a very happy Independence Day in advance.

The reason why I am talking so much about freedom is that this week’s pick too tries to make us understand the power of freedom and hope with a backdrop of friendship which is supposed to be our central theme this month. It narrates the tale of human resilience when faced with adversity. This week’s pick is also supposed to be an all-time classic which up until now I hadn’t viewed. But after viewing it , I did realize why this movie was and is still considered to be a classic.

The Story line: The Shawshank Redemption narrates the story of Andy who is supposed to serve his life sentence at the Shawshank State Prison for murdering his wife and her lover.He soon makes friends with Red who is supposed to be in there for a long time. The inmates of the prison are under the control of a notorious warden named Samuel Norton who from the outside is a man who is a devout Christian but is a very crooked man.

Andy suffers humiliation from almost all the people in the prison yet doesn’t seem to break down and does try to focus his mind on things that matter to him. But will Andy be able to survive his time in the prison ? Or will he turn hysterical just like one of his prison inmates does? Also, will he be able to come out of the world or will he remain a prisoner in the Shawshank prison?

Scrutiny: This is a story which narrates the tale of life of inmates inside a prison. Life in general is supposed to be tough because you never know what curveballs you may need to face . On top of that, if you are under the control of someone else and a person who loves to be independent in nature, then life is even more tougher. But if you have the power of hope and the ability to look things from a different perspective as well as a highly resilient nature, then you can change the situation in your favour.

This movie also gives us the message that there is no problem which cannot be fixed. If you do have the determination and the ability to look things differently, then no matter how difficult the situation is , you do emerge victorious. It also highlights a very important message that injustice does meet its end in the most brutal manner.

The positives of the movie- brilliant acting by the leads along with a gripping story line and an awesome cinematography especially in the second half that you actually feel that you are transported to the Pacific. The negatives of the movie- too much swearing but that is understandable as what can you expect in a prison?

This movie also reminds me of passages which I had read in two books- Man’s Search for meaning and I dare. Both highlighted the plights of the people who were put in the prison. And I really could empathize as well as visualize because prisons do convert men into animals as man forgets the very base that defines him or her and that is emotions. This movie tries to highlight that reality and imagine what is a human being supposed to be without emotions?

The Sentiment: A very powerful movie which has an impact on the viewer and also gives a wonderful message of hope and resilience. Watch it for the powerful message it delivers as well as for the power packed acting by the two leads.

Also, do watch it for the level of friendship that the leads share in the movie. A movie which makes you feel that if you should have friends you should have friends like Andy and Red or have no friends at all.This is definitely a piece of work that is definitely worth your time. And if you have watched it, then maybe you can definitely go down the memory lane to revisit your memories .

Rating: *** and 1/ 2 stars

Quote-Unquote: “Hope is a good thing , maybe the best of things, and no good things ever die.”

Que : After how many years is Brooks left on parole?

a. 20 years

b. 15 years

c. 50 years

d. 40 years