A young banker sits in his car. He parks in front of the house of his wife’s lover. His revolver is on his lap as he downs another gulp of liquor. Later, he was sentenced to two back-to-back life sentences for murder.
He was innocent. But that’s not important.
The Shawshank Redemption is not about Andy Dufresne’s guilt or innocence. It’s a window into the lives of those who are doomed into an eternity deprived of freedom and how they make sense of every day.
Tim Robbins had the physique and talent to portray Dufresne in this 1994 classic. His apathetic gaze and tall stature made him stand out from the many prisoners of Shawshank. He was wearing the same numbered suit, but he walked about like he didn’t belong there.
Dufresne stayed in Shawshank for almost two decades for a crime he did not commit. But anyone who is paying attention to the movie would not, for even a second, think that his stay there was for naught.
Despite his educational background, he was reduced to nothing but a lowly prisoner when that bus entered the thresholds of the prison grounds. He could have easily succumbed to his new reality and lost all hope.
Instead, he made connections with the people in power, his persistence made stronger every day, and built a library to help his fellow inmates. Some of his antics earned him time in the hole, but he always came out a better man—either happier or with a well-thought-out plan.
Watching Dufresne’s character makes it easier to deal with life’s difficulties. The audience is introduced to an innocent man who pursued worthy endeavors despite being in a situation that was neither pleasant nor warranted.
He made a lot of friends in Shawshank, the best of which was Ellis “Red” Redding (Morgan Freeman). Although already a reformed man, Red would spend a little more time behind bars until he finally gets parole. That was the day he figured he was no longer “institutionalized” as he later explained to the board who held his destiny in their hands.
He would continue his friendship with Dufresne even outside the prison walls, starting with an odd rock under an old tree and the memory of a hard-to-pronounce city in Mexico.
The story alone is poignant and impactful as it is. Couple this with Morgan Freeman’s voice as narrator, and you’re in for a memorable 2 hours and 22 minutes that you’ll treasure forever.
There’s plenty of lessons to be learned from The Shawshank Redemption.
Warden Samuel Norton (Bob Gunton) shows us that not all men who read the Bible are good.
Tommy Williams (Gil Bellows) proved that there’s plenty of hope left if you just find the right mentor and ask for help.
From Brooks Hatlen (James Whitmore), I learned that freedom does not always mean not being behind bars. Humans have the skill to make their own prisons. Some choose to stay there even after being given the choice to step out.
The Shawshank Redemption makes you think about the true meaning of freedom. In a way, it inspires hope even in the bleakest of times.
If there’s one thing I learned from the movie, it’s this: We don’t always control what happens to us. But whatever circumstances we’re in and wherever we may be, we can always find purpose. . . and a home.
It's a Ping Thing 