The Shawshank Redemption

1
The Shawshank Redemption

• Close Viewing

2
The Rooftop - Freedom

• The background of the prisoners is offset by the
  green, bright tones of the outside of Shawshank
  this is juxtaposed with the grey of the inside of
  the prison an the background of the guards.
• Andy tricks Hadley and reveals him as an
  unintelligent thug

3
The Rooftop - Freedom

• This is an uplifting scene as we watch the
  harsh, unbreakable walls of Shawshank dissolve
  away for the men as they sit in the sun and drink
  cold bottles of beer.
• Andy sits by himself (in the light) to show that
  he is different. He retains hope and wants to
  retain a sense of freedom. This is the first time
  he shows emotion looks content
• Red is seen with the guards in the background
  blurred over his shoulder there is always the
  institutionalised mentality Andy offers hope

4
The Rooftop - Freedom

• This scene is all about giving the prisoners a
  taste of hope and freedom. Andy is the a leader,
  offering redemption
• We sat and drank with the sun on our
  shoulders and felt like free menWe were the
  Lords of all Creation.
• You could argue hed done it to curry favour
  with the guardsMe? I think he did it to feel
  normal again, if only for a short while.
• The audience experiences victory with these men.

5
The Warden Visits Andy

• Not by accident, he chooses Andys sell.
• The natural light is always very prominent when
  Andy is present
• Background lighting is important
• Where does the real power lie? Is Andy warning
  the Warden? Who is smarter? Close ups reveal a
  battle of wits between the two men. We dont
  trust the Warden and neither does Andy.

6
The Warden Visits Andy

• Light interesting quote who is the light of
  the world.
• Andy is smarter than the warden. We cannot yet
  see the embedded humour of the situation with the
  poster and the rocks. The warden thinks that he
  is doing himself and Andy a favour, however the
  irony is that it is the worse mistake he could
  make.
• Andy and the Warden are strongly contrasted both
  cinematically costume, lighting, dialogue

7
Brooks leaving Shawshank Reds dialogue/ insight

• Red is one of the only people who understands
  Brooks reaction to his parole. In this way we
  can see that, to some extent, Brooks and Red are
  parallels with each other they have both served
  long sentences, both have a life and lifestyle in
  the prison
• Just when we think Andy might save and redeem
  hope for Red, we learn that he is probably
  institutionalised like Brooks.

8
Brooks Leaving Shawshank Reds dialogue/ insight

• Hes just institutionalised.
• This is all he knows. In here, he is an
  important man. Outside hes nothing.
• These walls are funny. First you hate em, then
  you get used to em. Enough time passes you get so
  you depend on em. Thats institutionalised.
• They send you hear for life, thats exactly what
  they take from you.

9
Brooks Leaving Shawshank - Lighting

• Brooks lets Jake go out a small window in the
  library. The backing light is dark almost
  black, no hope. It is often said that a caged
  bird will not survive outside that environment
  this is like Brooks.
• Contrast of light for Brooks exit from the
  prison the focus is on the light on the inside of
  the prison because this represents his home.
  Outside is grey and dull, ominous looking. This
  is because of uncertainty of the outside.

10
Brooks Leaving Shawshank - Lighting

• Brooks is always seen in shadowed lighting this
  symbolises lost hope contrast with the birds in
  the park, they are free.

11
Brooks Leaving Shawshank Sound Effects

• Music as Brooks leaves is slow and soft not
  hopeful.
• Notice the noise of the cars horns blaring,
  braking totally unfamiliar to Brooks, this is
  supposed to highlight his displacement in the
  outside world.

12
Brooks Leaving Shawshank Camera Techniques

• The camera is placed on the outside of the prison
  giving a long shot of Brooks saying goodbye to
  the guards notice lighting is brighter on the
  inside he is shaking the guards hands with
  shows familiarity. The placement of the
  characters tells us he is at home in the prison.
• Zoom in to a mid shot of Brooks sitting on the
  bus, his hands gripping the seat in front of him
  facial expression shows he is scared.

13
Brooks Leaving Prison Camera Techniques

• Close up of Brooks behind the wooden rails/
  rafters, represents the prison bars this shows
  that he is imprisoned on the outside he smiles.
• Close up of Brooks feet shows him standing on
  the table and the wooden clippings dropping
  around his feet. We watch him rock the table and
  hang himself.
• Zoom out from the Brooks Was Here engraving to
  a full shot showing Brooks hanging symbolic of
  a prison suicide.

14
Brooks Leaving Shawshank Camera Techniques

• This fades away to Andy and Brook reading the
  letter Close up of Red, feeling remorse" He
  shouldve died in here Red says.

15
Brooks Leaving Shawshank - Voiceover

• The letter back to the others at Shawshank
  documents Reds loss of hope. Freedom traps him.
• I saw an automobile once when I was a kid, but
  now theyre everywhere. Shows how much the world
  has changed and how unfamiliar it is.
• Maybe I should get me a gun and rob the Foodway
  so theyd send me home. Brooks thinks of prison
  as home.
• I dont like it here, Im tired of being afraid.

16
Brooks Leaving Shawshank - Voiceover

• Voiceover changes to Brooks perspective why do
  we trust him?

17
Aria over the Loudspeaker Freedom

• Irony The Marriage of Figaro (Mozart) about a
  servant who outwitted his master.
• Guards and prisoners alike are stunned and
  hypnotised by the music as it breaks the routine
  of prison life. The music transcends the day to
  day numbness.
• A medium shot reveals Andy has the same look on
  his face as in the Rooftop Scene. He is
  allowing them to have some freedom again.

18
Aria over the Loudspeaker Freedom

• Crane shot of the prisoners in the yard looking
  at the loud speaker and listening to the music.
  The whole prison has been moved to a standstill.
• The light is resonating through the prison.
• Close up of the mens faces as the camera pans
  shows that they are in awe of the music. They
  seem peaceful and at ease

19
Aria over the Loudspeaker Freedom

• Voiceover
• I tell you those voices soared. Higher and
  farther that a person in a grey place dares to
  dream. It was like some beautiful bird flapped
  into our drab little cage and made those walls
  dissolve away. And for the briefest of moments,
  every last man in Shawshank felt free. This
  statement finishes with a close up of Red Andy
  made his taste freedom.

20
Aria over the Loudspeaker Freedom

• Andy has the same expression on his face as he
  did on the rooftop.
• The abrupt scratch of the music shows a return to
  the evil of the prison.

21
Andy talks about Hope

• Red reveals he used to like the harmonica before
  I used to play a mean harmonica
• Andy You need it so you dont forgetthere are
  places in the world that arent made out of
  stone Theres something inside that they cant
  get to they cant touchHope.
• Red Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive
  a man insane.

22
Reds Second Parole Hearing 30 Years

• Red is not as nervous or anxious about this
  hearing. He is calm. After all that has gone on
  especially Brooks, he is giving up hope. His
  speech is the same but it is not done with such
  uncertainty. As the years pass he is residing
  himself to the fact that he has become
  institutionalised.
• Harmonica - Andy gives Red a harmonica
  remembering what he said. Music is hope. Andy is
  giving Red hope. The harmonica is a symbol of
  hope.
• Red plays a little note on the harmonica hope?

23
Tommy Williams Murder

• The Warden steps out of the dark, shadowy
  background lighting, just as he did in the
  beginning of the film and so many times
  throughout Leads us to think that if Andy is a
  Christ-like figure, then the Warden is surely
  the opposite (think devil)
• This shows how evil and corrupt the Warden is. He
  is icy and remorseless. He kills Tommy in cold
  blood as easily as the close up of his foot
  squashing or extinguishing the cigarette with
  that movement he tries to extinguish Andys hope.

24
Tommy Williams Murder

• A crane shot of Tommy with 4 bullet holes in his
  back on the ground reveals the Warden shaded,
  examining his work. The light is placed over
  Tommy.
• The Warden threatens to take away all of Andys
  hope Are you catching my drift or am I being
  obtuse. The Warden plays games with Andy, allows
  him a little freedom, hope and then tries to
  squash his spirit.

25
Andy and Red Conversation Lost Hope?

• This scene drives us to ask the question Has
  Andy been beaten down and stripped of hope - by
  the Warden and Shawshank Prison?
• He sits in the shade and this could be symbolic
  of the fact that he feels that if he stays there
  any longer, Shawshank will kill his spirit.
• Andy believe is dreams and in freedom. This is
  why he tells Red about Zihuatenejo it has no
  memory. It is a place where he can be redeemed,
  where he can be free. Will Red join him or is he
  in fact institutionalised?

26
The Final Scenes

• The dramatic tension reaches an almost certain
  breaking point when Red is talking about how
  dejected Andy feels and Heywood reveals he gave
  him rope will Andy be like Brooks?
• Inmate Remember Brooks Hadlen
• Inmate 2 No. Andy would never do that.
• Red Every man has his breaking point.
• Are they wrong to assume Andy would commit
  suicide?

27
The Final Scenes

• It is appropriate that we see Andy pulling the
  wool over the Wardens eyes. Specific moments in
  this sequence are put in place so that we can
  decipher pieces of the puzzle Andy placing the
  bible and papers in the safe, shining the shoes,
• Its good having you back Andy. Place wasnt the
  same without you. the Warden doesnt recognise
  who he is up against.
• Yet again, lighting and the contrast of light
  between the Warden and Andy show us good and
  evil.

28
Final Scenes

• A medium shot of Andy sitting on the bed in his
  prison reveals that he is calm and appears to be
  waiting.
• A number of close ups reveals Andy reaching for
  the rope. He holds it in his hands what is he
  going to do?
• A close up reveals Andy staring at the wall the
  poster is on.
• Zoom in to a close up of Red That was the
  longest night of my life Lightening crashes in
  the background.

29
Final Scenes

• The familiar sound of iron bars and alarms sends
  the routine of the prison underway.
• A close up of the guard reveals his shock Oh
  my holy God blasphemy

30
Final Scenes

• Cut to Warden Norton revealing Andys shoes in
  his shoebox The viewer now thinks seriously
  about what is going on. Piece by piece the puzzle
  is put back together.
• Tilt to a close up of the Warden trying to figure
  out what is happening and then right on cue, the
  siren rings out just as it did when Andy
  arrived
• The Warden is incensed at having been tricked and
  cant figure out what has happened Andy has
  outsmarted him

31
Final Scenes

• A close up of Raquel Welch draws our attention to
  the poster all through the movie weve been
  drawn to the changing women on Andys wall but
  have never questioned it.
• The Warden throws a chess piece at the poster and
  we hear it carry on through the wall.
• A zoom out reveals the tunnel through which Andy
  escaped and the Warden, Red and Hadley all in awe
  of the discovery.
• Cut to police cars and sirens rushing to the
  prison. Men wading through the water

32
Final Scenes

• Voiceover In 1966 Andy DuFresne escaped from
  Shawshank Prison.
• Zoom in to a close up of the rock hammer worn to
  the nub I remember thinking it would take a man
  six hundred years to tunnel through the wall with
  it. Old Andy did it in less than twenty.
• Flashback Cut to a close up of Andy scratching
  his name in the wall. Reveals that the wall comes
  away easily.

33
Final Scenes

• Voiceover Andy loved geology. I imagine it
  appealed to his meticulous natureGeology is the
  study of pressure and time. Thats all it takes
  really pressure and timeThat and a big god
  damned poster.
• There are many references to earlier things Red
  has said, this is so we can see the intricate
  detail that has gone into the plot of this movie.
  Aspects have been introduced and then reinforced
  later the puzzle becomes clearer.

34
Final Scenes

• Voiceover I guess after Tommy was killed, Andy
  decided hed been here just about long enough.
• The voiceover is important because we can make
  links and Red points them out. He also give just
  cause for Andys actions. He is our guide on this
  journey the story of Andys life in Shawshank.
• In these scenes, Andy seems confident, like he
  knows something we dont. He has outwitted the
  Warden and this is just an added bonus to his
  freedom It is his revenge

35
Final Scenes

• The scenes play out with additional information,
  shots, snippets that allow us to see Andys
  movements.
• We are with Andy as he crawls through the sewer
  Andy crawled to freedom through five-hundred
  yards of shit smelling foulness I can't even
  imagine
• At the end he is symbolically reborn into the
  world, shedding his clothes and the entrapments
  of the prison.
• Andys Christ- Like pose is the definitive
  mark of his redemption all the trials and
  tribulations are washed away, overridden by his
  triumph and freedom Let the rain wash away our
  sins

36
Final Scenes

• The Wardens world begins to unravel when a
  newspaper is sent information from Andy about the
  embezzlement.
• A close up of the Wardens attention being
  diverted to the embroidery Close up zoom in to
  extreme close up His judgement cometh and that
  right soon, coincides nicely with the sound of
  the siren coming to get Norton It is his
  judgement day
• The police are after the real villain contrast
  with Andy.
• A series of close ups reveal the Wardens world
  crumbling the Holy Bible You were right,
  salvation lay within Flicks it open to reveal
  the outline of the rockhammer.

37
Final Scenes

• The real evil in the prison are getting the
  redemption that they deserve Hadley sobbing
  like a little girl.
• Music is used here to build suspense and
  atmosphere when Norton is loading his gun the
  end is near. Close up of Warden loading the gun
  is reminiscent of Andy at the beginning of the
  film Whats going to happen? Who is he going to
  shoot? We think it is going to be the cops (mid
  shot points the gun at the door)
• The policeman yells Make it easy on yourself
  Norton so he takes the easy alternative and
  shoots himself. Gunfire and he sound of
  shattering glass is linked to the way he dies
  shattered skull

38
Final Scenes

• Voiceover I like to think the last thing that
  went through his head, other than that bullet,
  was to wonder how Andy DuFresne ever got the best
  of him.

39
Final Scenes

• A mid shot of Andy in a convertible is the
  ultimate picture of freedom. He is bathed in
  light and has a content look on his face.
• Andy DuFresne, who crawled through a river of
  shit and came out clean on the other side.
• Zoom out to a sweeping overhead shot of the
  Pacific Ocean this in stark contrast to the
  same view of Shawshank at the beginning. The
  ultimate in freedom. The outcome of hope.

40
Final Scenes

• I have to remind myself that some birds aren't
  meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too
  bright and when they fly away, the part of you
  that knows it was a sin to lock them up does
  rejoice, but still, the place you live in is that
  much more drab and empty that they're gone. I
  guess I just miss my friend.

41
Reds Final Parole Hearing

• Red is in the light.
• The panel is different younger man, a woman
• Rehabilitated? Well now, let me see. You know, I
  don't have any idea what that means...I know what
  you think it means. To me, it's just a made-up
  word, a politician's word so that young fellas
  like yourself can wear a suit and a tie and have
  a job. What do you really want to know? Am I
  sorry for what I did?...There's not a day goes by
  I don't feel regret. And not because I'm in here
  or because you think I should. I look back on the
  way I was then. A young, stupid kid who committed
  that terrible crime. I want to talk to him. I
  want to try and talk some sense to him. Tell him
  the way things are. But I can't. That kid's long
  gone. This old man is all that's left. I gotta
  live with that. 'Rehabilitated?' That's just a
  bulls--t word. So you go on and stamp your forms,
  sonny, and stop wasting my time. Because to tell
  you the truth, I don't give a s--t.

42
Ellis Red Redding Leaving Shawshank - Lighting

• This scene is strongly contrasted with Brooks
  leaving prison. Red and Brooks are constructed as
  parallels throughout the film but in the end they
  are contrasted through Reds ability to hope an
  intentional ploy to build dramatic tension by
  Frank Darabont.
• Cinematic techniques in this scene are used to
  contrast the two characters and bring to an end
  one phase of the storyline.

43
Ellis Red Redding Leaving Shawshank - Lighting

• Light is on the outside of the prison this time
  this represents freedom and also the fact that
  there may be some hope for Red.
• Red is always seen in the light in this scene, as
  is Andy through most of the film, this is
  symbolic of hope.
• Red is unfazed by the sound of a siren on the
  street below. It is like he is used to it.
• When Red arrives at the field in Buxton we can
  hear the sound of a harmonica playing, which
  symbolises hope Red chooses hope get busy
  living
• We also hear the natural sound of the birds
  chirping, frogs etc which is strongly suggesting
  freedom.

44
Ellis Red Redding Leaving Shawshank Camera
Techniques

• Placement of the camera inside the prison shows a
  long shot of Red leaving the prison. He is not so
  familiar with the guards and the focus is on the
  outside of the prison.
• A mid shot of Red on the bus reveals that he is
  somewhat relaxed, taking in the scenery.
• When Red arrives in the same room Brooks had
  there is a point of view shot of Brooks was
  Here leaves the viewer questioning whether or
  not the same fate will await Red.
• Over the shoulder shot of Red considering his
  life on the outside in the mirror is he a
  changed man? What has time done to him?
• In Buxton, there are a lot of wide shots and long
  shots that show the background Red is free

45
Ellis Red Redding Leaving Shawshank - Voiceover

• Theres a harsh truth to face no way Im going
  to make it on the outside
• All I do anymore is think of ways to break my
  parole so theyll send me back Notice Red does
  not say home. Close up of the gun and pan to
  the compass hope? Freedom?
• Only one thing stops me. A promise I made to
  Andy. Andy is the guiding light for Red. He has
  offered him hope that there is a life for him on
  the outside.

46
Quotes

• Remember, Red. Hope is a good thing, maybe the
  best of things and no good thing ever dies.
• Get busy livin', or get busy dyin'. That's
  god-damn right Red had a choice. He made it.
• I find I am so excited I can barely sit still or
  hold a thought in my head. I think it's the
  excitement only a free man can feel, a free man
  at the start of a long journey whose conclusion
  is uncertain. I hope I can make it across the
  border. I hope to see my friend and shake his
  hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has
  been in my dreams. I hope.

47
Red is reunited with Andy

• The camera skims across the blue Pacific a scene
  filmed in the US Virgin Islands, and then
  dissolves to a wide shot of a bright, warm,
  sunlit beach, where Red walks bare-footed on the
  sand toward an old wreck of a boat. With simple
  hand tools (a hammer rests on the boat!), Andy is
  patiently and meticulously sanding the old paint
  from the boat's ancient surface. He slowly turns
  and sees his friend approaching - and jumps off
  to greet him. The camera pulls back, revealing
  the wide, distant horizon of the blue Pacific
  with no end in sight. No longer are the
  prison-mates to be confined by walls, iron bars,
  supervisory guards, and limits on their lives.
  Both are redeemed, reconnected and re-united,
  with the precious possession of freedom.