Naveen Rao Mr.

Hackney Rhetoric 101 14 October 2013 The Shawshank Redemption Review In 1982, Stephen King wrote the underappreciated novella entitled Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption which was later adapted into the award winning film by Frank Darabont called The Shawshank Redemption. Reeling in popular actors such as Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, Darabont saw a way to live up to Kings expectations and ultimately pull his novella into redemption. Tim Robbins character, Andy, is wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife and sent to jail. During his imprisonment, Andy befriends Red (Morgan Freeman) and together the two friends con their way up the social ladder and spend an upwards of two decades planning an unexpected escape. Being such a popular film, reviewers and critics such as Roger Ebert and Janet Maslin mostly praise the films lighthearted tone and have high regards for the movies underlying morals. That being said, even though both Janet Maslin and Roger Ebert find The Shawshank Redemption to be a movie about patience and camaraderie despite the ironic title, they differ both in opinion concerning whether the actors or the characters really develop the movie and the type of production decisions used to set the tone. Both Roger Eberts and Janet Maslins review on The Shawshank Redemption focus on how the title of the movie is ironic. In other words, both authors were surprised that the film was about love and understanding rather than the ordinary Stephen King thriller. Ebert states that the movie is about time, patience, and loyalty and not a movie about a gruesome redemption. Ebert was initially turned off by the grisly title and was originally expecting to see a gory film. However, despite the title, Ebert maintains that [The Shawshank Redemption] is not a depressing story. Even Janet Maslin was surprised by this lighthearted take on the novella, which explains her choice in the title of her review: Prison Tale by Stephen King Told Gently, Believe It or Not. Along with Ebert, Janet Maslin explains that the movie was a gentle story of camaraderie and growth and was left without a single riot scene or horrific effect. Both critics praise the author for his choice in tone and the way he tells his tale with a surprising degree of loving care (Maslin). Though Roger Ebert and Janet Maslin agree on the tone of the movie, they cant seem to decipher between the reality of the actors or the fictional characters that make the movie so inspirational. In other words, Janet believes that Morgan Freeman was such an exceptional actor that it made the film so touching; Ebert, however, believes that it was the relationship between the characters that made the movie light-hearted. On the one hand, Janet Maslin explains how Morgan Freeman is so quietly impressive here that theres reason to wish Reds role had more

range. To further elaborate, Maslin was disappointed with what the director wrote for the role of Red and wished the character had more substance, but she was generally pleased with the work that Morgan Freeman did and believed he was a much stronger figure than [Red]. On the other hand, Roger Ebert felt that it was the bonding between the characters that helped develop the film. He states, The partnership between the characters [is] crucial to the way the story unfolds (Ebert). Roger Ebert goes on to explain how the friendship between Red and Andy brings a sense of camaraderie to help develop a plot. Ebert explains that with a time lapse of 30 years, the only major growth within the prison walls is the friendship itself. Another point both reviewers disagree on is the type of production decisions used to set the light-hearted tone and make the film inspirational overall. Frank Darabont used darker shades of lighting to show how drab and distasteful the prison is. By doing this, Roger Ebert believes that it makes the ender seem more inspirational and brighter. Darabont also incorporates a lot of Morgan Freeman voiceovers and inspirational music which is what Janet Maslin thinks held the story together. Ebert states that the director paints the prison in drab grays and shadows, so that when events do occur, they seem to have a life of their own. He goes on to explain how these drab colors bring out the outside world. Maslin believes that the excess voice-over narration and inspirational music [has] a genuine dignity that holds the interest. In other words, because of the narration and exceptional musical score, the movie can hold the interest of the viewers. The Shawshank Redemption is more than just a prison movie; it is a movie about patience, love, loyalty, friendship, and growth. Morgan Freeman did an amazing job of letting his character (Red) ring out a little and it is true that the Freeman voiceovers helped the film set the tone. Both Maslin and Ebert gave this movie, as well as the actors, a high review. They both agreed on the general tone of the movie and how the title was ironic, but they disagreed on the directors production tools used to set the tone. Along with this, the critics also both disagreed on whether the actors or the characters really made the movie stand out. Overall, this movie can easily become a classic in both of these critics eyes.

Works Cited Maslin, Janet. "Prison Tale by Stephen King Told Gently, Believe It or Not." The New York Times [New York] 23 Sept. 1994: n. pag. Print. Roger Ebert. Roger Ebert, 23 Sept. 1994. Web. 15 Oct. 2013. Rotten Tomatoes. Fixter Inc., n.d. Web. 15 Oct. 2013.