“Hope is the only thing stronger than fear”. Hope was highlighted a great amount in the film “The Shawshank redemption” directed by Frank Darabont. In this essay I will be analysing how the sense of hope portrayed in the film was developed to show a particular purpose, the importance of rehabilitation. Hope was shown all throughout the film and to support this I will use examples that show the gradual development of hope in the film.
In the beginnings of the film, hope was spoken of like it was feared. It was spoken as though even the slight thought of it was deadly and could kill in an instant. Everyone but Andy believed that hope was simply bad news. In the film Andy brings up the subject of hope. Red instantly shoots him down by saying “Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane”. At this point Red
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It is the smallest of actions which create the most hope. Andy, being one of the very few sources of hope for those in Shawshank. He was clearly more optimistic than the rest and he was a lot smarter too. It was when Andy locked himself in a room and turned the music of Mozart on. He then turned on the speakers which projected all throughout the prison. From Red’s point of view he described it “For the briefest of moments, every man in Shawshank felt free”. This brief moment of freedom showed the prisoners of Shawshank what it was like to feel free again. That moment of freedom gave them hope. That one small action showed the hopeless prisoners that there is more out there. Even though it was only a little hope, it did more for them than the whole time they had been imprisoned at Shawshank. Shawshank drained them of everything. They all had potential to rehabilitate but nobody helped them to do this besides Andy. They stayed to their old ways and thought themselves as being the man they were and it always would be that way for them. They didn’t think redemption would ever be an option for them and they were completely
If people don’t have a sense of hope, or something to believe in, their life falls apart. This is proven in the novel Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson which is a story about an African American man named Walter McMillian, a death row inmate, who was falsely accused by a white man of a federal crime but still paid the price. Walter’s lawyer, Bryan Stevenson, didn't stop working until Walter, and over 2,000 other falsely accused death row inmates were released. In Just Mercy hope is a necessity for the overall success in the case, because it reduces the feeling of worthlessness, improves the quality of life, and provides a sense of happiness.
Doe Zantamata, an American author, once said, “Good friends help you find the most important things when you have lost them... your smile, your hope, and your courage.” In Frank Darabont’s film The Shawshank Redemption, hope and friendship are a large part of the characters’ lives, as they are inmates in the Shawshank prison. Andy is a newcomer and intrigues Red, an inmate who has been in the prison for a long time. Although Red is not sure what to think of him at first, they soon become good friends.
Hope is a helpful tool to push people through the hardest times in life. In the book Night by Elie Wiesel, there are numerous examples of hope helping people and revitalizing their confidence. People used hope to help them through rough times. People hope that friends and family are still alive. Also hope that the Front liberates the camps and frees everyone.
“The Shank Redemption” pertains to a successful banker (Andy, played by Tim Robbins) who is charged for murder, however, he did not commit this, and is given a life sentence. All throughout the film, Andy’s reserved and emotionless character ends up quite the opposite of a prison escapee. Andy was quite the unpredictable kind of guy, for example, he would do the prison guard’s tax returns just to get beer for the prisoners. Red (played by Morgan Freeman), the narrator and protagonist who is predictable contrary to Andy and is transformed on his views of hope. The film is narrated by Red, and would accurately display perceptions of Andy from himself and other incarcerated individuals.
Eventually, Red got out on parole, and it was the hope that Andy brought to Shawshank that kept him going on the outside. In this story, Andy was the most hopeful person in Shawshank, but he was also sensible towards the notion of risk and reward. Despite being a
.”(Wiesel 8). Everyone in Sighet have their hopes high that the Red Army will reach them before they are deported. Next, hope is something that one must have, if one loses it they lose the will to live. Akiba Drumer is an example, he has faith and hope but once he lost it he started saying it is impossible to continue going on, “ I can’t go one . . .
With time, the scenes became brighter, slowly and gradually throughout Andy’s stay at Shawshank. Andy brought hope to the prison and we began seeing and feeling this throughout the film with the use of lighting. This can be best exemplified by the well-known rooftop scene, where Andy “buys” some of his fellow inmates a moment of freedom. As they sipped a cold beer on a hot spring day in 1949, they tasted the freedom and hope that they craved ever so much, and this was all thanks to Andy. We could see the mood change through the lighting, as it was a spring day.
Life constantly bombards us with series of twists and turns which we inevitably have to battle. In these times of struggle, we often look up into the light for small glimmers of hope that helps motivates us to push forwards. While we struggle, hope has always been by our side. In Stephen King’s novella, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, and its film adaptation, directed by Frank Darabont, The Shawshank Redemption, the theme of hope is perpetuated through Red’s character. It tells a life story about Andy Dufresne, a life sentenced convict who proclaims his innocence, who is sent to Shawshank prison.
In both Shawshank Redemption and The road both Frank daramont and Cormac McCarthy showed that just surviving in their dangerous environments was a constant fight. In both these texts, the protagonists faced a number of differences including their setting and the way they were shown but there were a number of similarities one in particular was that surviving was there main goal. For the father in the road, it was the survival of his son that mattered while for Andy it was the survival of his hope so one day when he escaped he wouldn’t have lost his spark. In conclusion both McCarthy and Darmont used the setting, characterization, and symbolism to show how the significance of survival as a drive for the protagonists. Both Andy and the Father
This is a movie that is an unflinching look at prison life and all the burdens prisoners must go through every day. The story would later be adapted for the big screen in 1994, shortening the name to The Shawshank Redemption, would be nominated for seven Oscars, and
When the inmates first arrive at Shawshank prison and the audience sees a low angle of Shawshank presenting it as a daunting, life sucking, all-consuming place. Similarly, Darabont uses a low angle to show the halfway house feels the same to Brooks as Shawshank felt to the inmates when they first arrived. Any ordinary would most likely see the interesting, intricate architecture of the building but instead of showing that part of the building Darabont chooses to show the audience the daunting, dominating nature it presents to Brooks. Freedom should be something that a newly released prisoner is ecstatic about but in Brooks’ case he is terrified even to have his own room, why is this? It is because of the key idea, institutionalization, that Darabont has been hinting at all through the film and especially in this scene.
When andy was first put in Shawshank for a crime he didn't commit, he didn't feel sorry for himself and he did not allow depression to take over. Andy was placed in a situation that presented , the way you go about is the same way a character arc goes. In united three we learned about a character in Shawshank redemption named Andy who is always different because he allows hope to drive his motivation in a place of nothing but despair. When andy was first put in Shawshank for a crime he didn't commit, he didn't feel sorry for himself and he never let anything get to
Andy eventually begins to fit in, after wowing the guards with his banking expertise Andy gets a new life in shawshank, a life as "a convicted murderer who provides sound financial planning". With his new connections Andy has the opportunities nobody before him really had, he was able to create a real library within the prison, play music over the speaker, and even got his new friends some cold beers. This is not your typical prison movie with riots and constant violence, sure it has its gruesome moments but overall it tells a very gentle story of camaraderie, and how one man can make a difference. Without giving any spoilers I would have to say from start to finish this movie had me hooked, it had comedy, suspense, and even some action. Without the excellent acting of Warden Norton (Bob Gunton) and Captain Hadley (Clancy Brown) I would not have had anything to cheer on Andy against.
Parshwa Shah (1641068) Vaibhav Shah Ethics 05 September 2017 The Shawshank Redemption In the movie The Shawshank Redemption the experiences of a formerly successful banker as a prisoner in the gloomy jailhouse of Shawshank after being found guilty of a crime he did not commited. Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) is sent to Shawshank prison for the murder of his wife and her secret lover.[1] Introduction of Ethical Dilemma Should Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) escape the prison?
In the film The Shawshank Redemption, directed by Frank Darabont, the main message in the film is hope and fear. The main purpose of the opening scene is to introduce us from Andy Dufrense the main character who has been accused as a murderer of his wife and her lover. Moreover, the opening sequence is significant because it shows Andy 's transformation from being a regular civilian to a criminal in high security prison. Basically, this report will focus on the opening scene were the director has mainly focused on the film techniques to show the message of hope and fear. The director has used visual technique to get his message across.