The Shawshank Redemption

In 1999, Frank Darabont directed "The Green Line", a film about the prison world but it was not the first time. Indeed, 4 years before, he already adapted a short story by Stephen King also about life in prison. "The Escaped" begins with the trial of Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) where he is sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his wife and her lover. In prison, he meets Ellis Boyd 'Red' Redding (Morgan Freeman) with whom he becomes friends. As he will do later with "The Green Line", Frank Darabont manages to never bore the viewer during more than two hours of film. However, almost the whole story takes place in the prison, the distractions are rare but there is no dead time. We fall in love with this Andy Dufresne who says he is innocent, these hours in detention will not be easy because some inmates can be dangerous. But other inmates can also be good friends and we will get attached to several characters as we go along. Moreover, the actors are very good and they participate in our sympathy for their characters. The script is written in such a way that something always happens and even reserves a surprise at the end that was prepared from the beginning without us realizing it. This film deals with several subjects. On the one hand, the situation of prisoners in prison who are sometimes not even considered as Men. On the other hand, hope and its importance. Without hope, there is no life (as they say: hope makes you live). It's quite amazing to see that such a film, where the characters are constantly locked within four walls, manages to tackle important themes and deliver life messages so easily. The narrative is one of the particularities of this work. While Tim Robbins plays the main character, it is Morgan Freeman who narrates the story. We follow Andy Dufresne but from the point of view of Ellis Boyd 'Red' Redding, which allows us to have a different approach to the story and the main character than in other films. Frank Darabont realizes a first film on the prison universe of a great intensity, where the emotion is never far, without ever boring his audience and successfully managing to deliver beautiful messages on life

Considered as one of the best movies of all time, I always missed it during its multiple TV broadcasts... Fortunately, there is the Internet. Anyway. The Escaped, or how to translate an excellent title by spoil the end of the movie to the audience. Let's skip this kind of nonsense from the French distributors, about which I would write an article if I have the time. Anyway.

Let's move on to the real review of the film. The Escaped is a model of cinema, a timeless masterpiece and without a doubt possible. Frank Darabont undoubtedly makes what was, is and will be in a hundred years a film that will remain in the history of cinema. Let's start with the actors. Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman are majestic, William Sadler is sensational, Clancy Brown and Bob Gunton are great as the villains, Mark Rolston and Gil Bellows are there for 15 minutes each to show their talent and James Whitmore closes the cast in a beautiful way. Let's move on to the technique. Perfectly directed, incredibly well written, extremely exciting, on the verge of being mouth-watering, with rather nice music (the weak point of the film) and a simple aesthetic, without fading, just realistic. We feel so much the passing of time (a theme that is really starting to fascinate me in cinema) in this prison, where life is hard but where everything is not black.

The film distills a welcome flavor of hope in any situation and moves, makes you laugh, makes you smile for about 2h30. A masterpiece, one of the best films of all time.