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Shawshank
Shawshank Redemption Practice Essay
Analyse how BOTH internal and external conflict were important to the text as a whole.
Note: “internal conflict” means conflict within a character, and “external conflict” means conflict between a character and other individual(s) or group(s).

Conflict is not rare (is prevalent or recurring?) in the film ‘Shawshank Redemption’ directed by Frank Darabont. Throughout the film Darabont uses many effective film techniques and camera shots to portray the theme of corruption. Darabont shows Andy Dufresne, a banker who spends nearly two decades in Shawshank State Prison for the murder of his wife and her lover, despite his claims of being innocent. During his time at the prison, Andy finds himself protected by the guards after the warden begins using him in his money laundering operation. External conflict is shown between the guards and prisoners constantly throughout the film. External conflict is also exposed during the film, between Norton – the warden, and Andy, also between Andy and Bogs, the prison ‘rapist’. Internal conflict occurs also in Andy, when he first arrives at the prison. Both internal and external conflict is important to the film because they show how much little (just little?) control Andy has over his life.

This needs to link explicitly to the “conflict” in the question. State how it links. (External prison/prisoners or staff prisoners? – unclear. Stick with one or the other…)
Near the beginning of the film, when the prisoners are arriving to Shawshank Prison, helicopter shots, and vertical shots are used when first introducing the prison. This is to show the expanse of the prison and how small and restricted the prisoners are. Mid shots and close ups are used constantly at the beginning of the film to show the emotion on the prisoners faces to the audience. Dark lighting is regularly used behind Norton, and the prison guards, to show power and authority. In the prison and when Andy is arriving in the

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