‘There are places in the world that aren’t made out of stone, that there’s something inside, that they can’t get to, that they can’t touch. Hope’. This line is from the famous movie ‘The Shawshank Redemption’. This adaptation of the 1982 novella ‘Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption’ by Stephen King was initially a theatrical failure and cited reasons like unpopularity of prison films, lack of female characters.
Set in the mid-20th century, this Frank Darabont direction, narrated by the legendary Morgan Freeman tells the story of a banker Andrew (Andy) Dufresne sentenced to the Shawshank State Penitentiary in 1947 under the accusation for the murders of his wife and her lover, befriends Ellis Boyd (Red) Redding, a fellow convict, and sears and roebuck of the prison.
Hidden Gems in the Movie
1. Friendship
The movie defies friendship between the most unlikely duo, a Vice-President of a large Portland bank and a murder convict in a situation where firstly survival is the toughest. The friendship between Andy (Tim Robbins) and Red (Morgan Freeman) starts with a bet between the old inmates bidding over who will be the weakling. Red signs off Andy as a snob uptight and thus places his stakes on him, but first impressions may always not be the last impressions.
Over a period of time you do realize that things like age, educational background, tastes and preferences don’t obstruct friendship, mutual trust and understanding takes you a long way.
2. Adjustment
There may arise situations when it is possible that your whole life changes in the blink of an eye, you may be at your best and destiny puts you in a fix or it may be the other way around. It is difficult to live a life different from that you are living for years but change is the only constant. It is important that however life treats you, you should accept it and change yourself in ways that help you stand the test of time; because what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.
The movie shows how initially Andy due to his snobbish, introverted attitude has to suffer the assaults of Bogs (the bully of the prison) and the Sisters, resurfacing with newer wounds every time, starts to accept it silently and learns to defend himself over the course of time.
3. Play by Your Strengths
In whatever situation you are, you should never forget your strengths or forgo opportunities. Living a busy life with very little time for oneself, it is important to have at least one leisure activity for peace of mind. To help Andy get out of the situation that Bogs has dragged him into, Red takes it upon himself to get Andy involved in activities that will keep him safer. Seizing the perfect opportunity to start feeling normal, Andy starts using his financial knowledge to work for the guards and later for the Warden.
4. Hope
Brooks Hatlen, an old inmate convicted in 1905 assigned to take care of the prison library since 1912 pets Jake, a crow for almost a decade before he is paroled after serving 50 years gets institutionalized. A person so used to live a monotonous life for such a long period of time cannot survive for long without hope.
Having to get back into a life that is long gone is not an easy thing to become accustomed to but as stated by Stephen Ambrose, 'The past is a source of knowledge and the future is a source of hope. Love of the past implies faith in the future.' It all comes down to a simple choice really, ‘Get busy living or get busy dying’, it is hope that keeps you going.
5. Determination
While assigned to the library during his time in the prison, Andy takes it upon himself to refurbish it and starts writing one letter a week to the State Senate, after six years he’s allocated some amount and few old books which he needs for the project, unsatisfied he starts writing 2 letters a week and the appropriations committee votes an annual payment of more than twice of that approved earlier.
While it is easier said than done that you should never give up, the thing which you crave from the bottom of your heart, though late will in some way or other leads to you; in simple terms, it is the law of attraction. And as Red mentions, 'Some birds aren’t meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright. And when they fly away, a part of you knows it was a sin to lock them up does rejoice. But still, the place you live in is that much drabber and emptier that they’re gone.'
6. Redemption
One of the early proverbs taught to us states, ‘As you sow, so shall you reap’, whatever good or bad thing that you do, in the course of life is redeemed one way or the other. As you grow old, you realize that you should be compassionate and compliant with every lesson life teaches you.
While Brooks didn’t have anything to cling upon, Red being in the same position years later has friendship, hope, acceptance of his situation; experience instilled in him a sense of rationalism and no longer a fear of what the world thinks of him as in the end after serving 40 years of a life sentence, the young stupid kid who committed that terrible crime is long gone and is just the old man who is left behind.
To conclude, this cult classic teaches you how even in the worst phases of your life, engaging yourself in hobbies, with hope in your heart alongside great determination and hard work, you can redeem yourself in the best way possible. Somewhere down the line, you’ll comprehend that the world continues on hope and salvation lies within.
Written by - Saee Wagh
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