What defines a classic? While such a grand proclamation is riddled with intangibles, nearly all definitions intersect. Is it age, impression, or singularity? Is there some sort of formula for identifying a so-called classic film? The term is used all too often to describe standouts of a particular genre. But there exist some films so salient that they transcend classification and endure unconstrained by time and place.
Such films are not threatened by time, but enhanced by it. They embrace the common threads leading through all of our lives in spite of age, prosperity, race, or condition, and thereby speak a language universal to everyone. They are profound and inspiring, timeless and principled.
The terror of Shawshank
Adapted from a 1982 novella by Stephen King, director/screenwriter Frank Darabont’s The Shawshank Redemption is the story of Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), a qualified young banker who is wrongly accused of murdering his wife and her secret lover. As he stands before the court, dumbfounded and wholly unprepared to speak in his defense, he is convicted to serve two life sentences back to back in the fearsome Shawshank Prison. A closed book, Andy confounds those who attempt to judge him by his cover. As he approaches his new home of stone and iron, the inmates have already begun to place bets on which newcomer will crack first. A particular prisoner known as “Red” has his money on Andy.
Red (Morgan Freeman) is the savvy businessman of the prison community who is able to acquire various items of contraband—within reason and, of course, at a price. He is older, wiser, and more reserved than many of the inmates, and his sense of stability and outward peace stems from having surrendered himself to his current set of circumstances. He quickly learns, however, that Andy is a much stronger man than he had initially wagered. Regardless of adversity (of which there is plenty in this prison life), Andy retains his sense of self and ambition, determined to improve his situation in whatever way possible, much to the silent approbation of the ruthlessly violent guard captain Hadley (Clancy Brown) and the impious Warden Norton (Bob Gunton). And so, for years, Andy braves abuse and the painful recognition of his misfortune, somehow harboring his own breed of prison contraband: a shred of undying hope.
Gradually, his courage begins to infect those around him, as he wins small favors for his fellow inmates and lifts himself along the ladder of influence. Andy instigates positive changes in the most negative environment imaginable, beginning with a short round of beers for his buddies and culminating with an unprecedented expansion of the prison library. Before long he is doing taxes for all of the prison guards—including Warden Norton, whose corruption begins to define him. But even as he triumphs over devastating circumstances, he is challenged ever more fiercely by his thirst for personal freedom and imprisoned for his talents by the villainous warden, who has come to view him not as human, but as a tool. What transpires is a conclusion unmatched in the world of film and indescribable in its emotion.
Hope springs eternal
The Shawshank Redemption is not the story of a man damned to wrongful imprisonment. It is a legend of everlasting hope and the power to overcome adversity; a tale of true friendship and personal victory. Underlying all of the film is a timeless, universal message of remarkable gravity that is almost spiritual in its profundity. Through a rollercoaster of intensely dichotomous sensations—first terrible gloom, then glowing optimism—Darabont touches parts of our subconscious nature that underpin all of humanity… and he does so with such grace and efficiency that it is sure to define his work here as one of the greatest in modern film.
Extras
The Shawshank Redemption Blu-ray release includes two-and-a-half hours of special features (plus a commentary track), most of which are presented in standard definition—but they’re all well worth the time if you’re a fan of the film. It would have been nice to see some more current material, but considering the going price point, it’s hard to argue with what’s offered. One small quibble is that the selection menu for the features is terribly difficult to use thanks to black text with a dark-blue highlight; how did this go unnoticed?
Here’s a breakdown of what supplemental content is available:
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Commentary by Director and Screenwriter Frank Darabont – This commentary track is actually from the 2004 DVD release of the film, and it’s very lively and amusing. An enthusiastic Frank Darabont explains everything to us in delightfully candid detail—subjects ranging from deeply vivid reflections on the production of the film to stories of transvestites auditioning for the role of Rita Hayworth in the film (who, by the way, was not in the film).
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Hope Springs Eternal: A Look Back at The Shawshank Redemption (408p – 31:01) – The cast reflects upon their experience in the movie in this mini-doc. Nearly everyone is featured here—Morgan Freeman, Tim Robbins, and all the rest of the cast chime in with reminiscence of their own breed. Each of the main characters is discussed in detail, as well as other pristine aspects of the production, such as the most moving scenes, the intricacies of the music, and the overall theme—the message and heart—of the film. It’s an excellent feature that will satisfy all Shawshank fans.
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Shawshank: The Redeeming Feature (480i – 48:17) – A 2001 television documentary hosted by Mark Kermode, this 48-minute analysis of the film features members of the cast, including Freeman and Robbins, discussing what they believe made the movie such an impacting phenomenon. Other subjects of interest include an extended discussion of the Mansfield (Ohio State) Reformatory, where much of the movie was filmed, and how Frank Darabont was persuaded to extend the ending to offer a better sense of closure.
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The Charlie Rose Show with Frank Darabont, Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman (408p – 42:21) – A roundtable hosted by New York’s Charlie Rose, who questions the three interviewees about their respective characters in the movie and their reaction to the production. Thanks to the unscripted nature of the feature, we get to see Darabont, Robbins, and Freeman in raw and honest form. Each of them provides a truly gracious retrospect of what it meant to be a part of the film.
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The SharkTank Redemption (480p – 24:46) – An amusing half-hour spoof detailing the lives of a group of assistants working under a horribly oppressive and hot-headed boss at a Hollywood film agency. The main character, Fred Redding, is seeking a promotion from the board, but is flatly refused in a manner strikingly similar to that of the parole board in The Shawshank Redemption, thus setting off a series of spoofed events that, for the most part, are quite funny in context.
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Production Stills (1080p) – A collection of photos taken during production; the latter part of the feature includes some of the original storyboard panels.
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Shawshank Collectibles (1080p) – Basically a one-minute promo piece featuring stills of various collectibles created in honor of the film.
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Trailer (1080p) – The hi-res trailer.
The movie is packaged in Warner’s unique book-case format, which features a few dozen pages of interviews, tidbits, and pictures. It’s a collector’s item to be certain, even if it doesn’t add a lot to the existing package.