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Amazon.co.uk Review
When The Shawshank Redemption was released in 1994, some critics complained that this popular prison drama was too long to sustain its plot. Those complaints miss the point, because the passage of time is crucial to this story about patience, the squeaky wheels of justice and the growth of a life-long friendship. Only when the film reaches its final, emotionally satisfying scene do you fully understand why writer-director Frank Darabont (adapting a novella by Stephen King) allows the story to unfold at its necessary pace.
Tim Robbins plays a banker named Andy who is sent to Shawshank Prison on a murder charge, but as he gets to know a life-term prisoner named Red (Morgan Freeman), we soon realise his claims of innocence are credible. We also realise that Andy's calm, quiet exterior hides a great reserve of patience and fortitude, and Red comes to admire this mild-mannered man who first struck him as weak and unfit for prison life. So it is that The Shawshank Redemption builds considerable impact as a prison drama that defies the conventions of the genre (violence, brutality, riots) to illustrate its theme of faith, friendship and survival. Nominated for seven Academy Awards including Best Picture, Actor and Screenplay, it's a remarkable film (which movie lovers count among their all-time favourites) that signalled the arrival of a promising new filmmaker.
On the DVD: The Shawshank Redemption limited-edition release contains the complete 48-minute documentary "Shawshank: The Redeeming Feature", including interviews with all the principal cast and crew; plus more interview material and the theatrical trailer. --Jeff Shannon
Synopsis
In writer-director Frank Darabont's The Shawshank Redemption, Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) is sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison for the alleged murders of his wife and her lover in the late 1940s. Sent to Shawshank Prison to do hard time, Andy is the only one who knows he didn't commit the crimes. A taciturn banker in the outside world, he is forced to learn how to get by in the brutal, cut-throat confines of a maximum security prison. His quiet strength slowly earns the respect of his fellow inmates--most notably, Red (Morgan Freeman)--and even much of the prison staff, but Andy's seemingly stoic acceptance of his unjust imprisonment hides a fierce determination for freedom. This beautifully crafted movie features touching and sincere performances from the entire cast, with an uplifting message about humanity's indomitable spirit and the redemptive value of hope. Based on the novella "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption" by Stephen King, Darabont's intriguing adaptation is easily one of the finest films of the 1990s.
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Customer Reviews
The Bluray comes packaged in a narrow bluray case, which doesn't bother me. In fact I could maybe be doing with more of them to save shelf space. For the record my one was sealed. Picture Quality was extremely good and certainly added to my enjoyment of the film. There was a little grain, but the picture was very clean, and if anything the grain added to the realism in many of the prison scenes. Colours were very good, with a lot of blues and dark scenes that worked very well. Watch out for a scene towards the end with Andy standing in the rain. HD definitely brought something new to what was already a great film,and definitely added to my enjoyment of it. Ratio is 1.78:1 so it fills the screen on a widescreen TV, without stretching the picture.
Sound is much more limited, in the UK version, with Dolby digital 5.1 being the top offering. I understand the US version has a True HD soundtrack, so if that is important to you then you might consider looking for an import on Amazon.
All-in-all it was a great viewing experience though, that held my family spellbound for its whole length of over two hours. Definitely 5 stars in my book.
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