Shawshank Redemption
Shawshank Redemption
Sarmad Syed
Hum. 150
October 27, 2011
Hilary Clay Hicks
Shawshank Redemption is a film, directed by Frank Darabont adapting it for screen, based on Stephen king novella “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank redemption.”
This film takes the audience on a journey of despair and hope of individuals in
Shawshank prison. Constant routine, forced conformity, power abuse and the struggle of hope. The use of lighting, camera angles, music and different shots are accounted for in
Shawshank prison. Every prison scene is framed by bars and dark, grays or blues as backdrop as this effect indicates the cruel nature of life and the control of Shawshank within the lives of every individual. The Shawshank Redemption opens with Andy
Dufresne being interrogated and sentenced for the murder of his wife and her lover.
During the interrogation Mr. Dufresne flashes back to the night of the alleged murders.
The flashbacks show Mr. Dufresne reaching into his glove compartment and pulling out a gun and bullets while sitting outside of his wife’s lover’s home. The interrogating attorney accused Mr. Dufresne of shooting his wife and her lover, but the flash backs do not show him using his gun. During the interrogation Mr. Dufresne states that on his way home to ‘sleep it off’, he threw his gun into the Royal River; the attorney states that after searching the river for three days the gun was never recovered. The evidence provided in the trial was enough for Mr. Dufresne to be sentenced to two consecutive life terms, one for each of his victims. While seeing Mr. Dufresne entering the prison, his innocence or guilt is still questionable. The majority of scenes have no background music as the impact of silence represents the purpose in the lack of life. It is the Warden’s office where Andy locks himself in and plays Italian Opera over the P.A System. This is the only time in which music dominates a scene. This proves to us that
Sarmad Syed
Hum. 150
October 27, 2011
Hilary Clay Hicks
Shawshank Redemption is a film, directed by Frank Darabont adapting it for screen, based on Stephen king novella “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank redemption.”
This film takes the audience on a journey of despair and hope of individuals in
Shawshank prison. Constant routine, forced conformity, power abuse and the struggle of hope. The use of lighting, camera angles, music and different shots are accounted for in
Shawshank prison. Every prison scene is framed by bars and dark, grays or blues as backdrop as this effect indicates the cruel nature of life and the control of Shawshank within the lives of every individual. The Shawshank Redemption opens with Andy
Dufresne being interrogated and sentenced for the murder of his wife and her lover.
During the interrogation Mr. Dufresne flashes back to the night of the alleged murders.
The flashbacks show Mr. Dufresne reaching into his glove compartment and pulling out a gun and bullets while sitting outside of his wife’s lover’s home. The interrogating attorney accused Mr. Dufresne of shooting his wife and her lover, but the flash backs do not show him using his gun. During the interrogation Mr. Dufresne states that on his way home to ‘sleep it off’, he threw his gun into the Royal River; the attorney states that after searching the river for three days the gun was never recovered. The evidence provided in the trial was enough for Mr. Dufresne to be sentenced to two consecutive life terms, one for each of his victims. While seeing Mr. Dufresne entering the prison, his innocence or guilt is still questionable. The majority of scenes have no background music as the impact of silence represents the purpose in the lack of life. It is the Warden’s office where Andy locks himself in and plays Italian Opera over the P.A System. This is the only time in which music dominates a scene. This proves to us that