Hello everyone! Today I will be reviewing the movie "The Shawshank Redemption" directed by Frank Darabont. Now like with my review of "The Dark Side of the Moon", before I get into this review I wanted to talk a little bit about the format regarding how I tackle films in comparison to other pieces of media.
With albums I stated that I would only be doing a review, and would not have any critique. This was because I don't feel confident in my ability to actually critique an album in comparison to other mediums. For film I will have a section for review/critique and then my recommendation. Unless I feel the need to go into critical analysis, I will try and keep my film reviews/critiques concise.
With that out of the way, here are my thoughts on "The Shawshank Redemption".
Expectations: "The Shawshank Redemption" was the piece of media that I was most looking forward to consuming this month and I must say that it did not disappoint. Going into the film I had incredibly high expectations (as anyone should of a film often touted as the greatest ever made) so to say that I was not let down is a testament to the quality of this film. Do I think it's the best film ever made though? Not really, no.
Review/Critique: While there is no doubt in my mind that "The Shawshank Redemption" is a phenomenal movie, I have a hard time calling it the best film ever made because to me that title has much more to do with a film's impact than its quality. Even though this movie was incredibly good, its impact on future film as a whole is sorely lacking. This is in part due to the fact that the movie was a box office flop and it's not hard to see why. This is an incredibly dark and depressing film. People are beaten and killed before your eyes and that is not something many can stomach, myself included. It was incredibly hard for me to watch at times, I often felt the need to pause and recollect myself after some of the most gruesome scenes in the film. Now I would like to state again that this in no way alters the quality of the film. Hope is the central theme of the film, and without giving away too much it's incredibly important that the film hits these dark places.
There is a lot I would like to say about this film but I think going into it knowing as little as possible is in everyone's best interest. There is a lot of mystery within the movie about the central character's motivations and developments that I think are better to witness first hand. The moment the movie goes from good to great is one that would be a real shame to have spoiled, and how that moment voices the movie's opinions on its central themes is what really made me enjoy it so much.
The only issue I really had with the film were the moment to moments early on in the film. I think that in the grand scheme of things they are super important to the overall message, but that does not mean they weren't a bit boring to watch at times. Until the moment the movie goes from good to great I didn't really understand why people loved it so much, and I don't think the movie needed to sacrifice engagement for tying those scenes in to the central plot and themes. Regardless, this is a minor complaint and one that mostly goes away on a re-watch.
Recommendation: This film is absolutely not for everyone, but if what I said above seems appealing to you I highly recommend checking it out. I may not believe it is the "greatest movie ever made" and it is definitely not anywhere close to being my favorite movie, but that does not take away from the level of quality exhibited in this movie. "The Shawshank Redemption" is a fantastic movie, and one that anyone should watch if they can handle it.
With albums I stated that I would only be doing a review, and would not have any critique. This was because I don't feel confident in my ability to actually critique an album in comparison to other mediums. For film I will have a section for review/critique and then my recommendation. Unless I feel the need to go into critical analysis, I will try and keep my film reviews/critiques concise.
With that out of the way, here are my thoughts on "The Shawshank Redemption".
The Shawshank Redemption
Review
Expectations: "The Shawshank Redemption" was the piece of media that I was most looking forward to consuming this month and I must say that it did not disappoint. Going into the film I had incredibly high expectations (as anyone should of a film often touted as the greatest ever made) so to say that I was not let down is a testament to the quality of this film. Do I think it's the best film ever made though? Not really, no.
Review/Critique: While there is no doubt in my mind that "The Shawshank Redemption" is a phenomenal movie, I have a hard time calling it the best film ever made because to me that title has much more to do with a film's impact than its quality. Even though this movie was incredibly good, its impact on future film as a whole is sorely lacking. This is in part due to the fact that the movie was a box office flop and it's not hard to see why. This is an incredibly dark and depressing film. People are beaten and killed before your eyes and that is not something many can stomach, myself included. It was incredibly hard for me to watch at times, I often felt the need to pause and recollect myself after some of the most gruesome scenes in the film. Now I would like to state again that this in no way alters the quality of the film. Hope is the central theme of the film, and without giving away too much it's incredibly important that the film hits these dark places.
There is a lot I would like to say about this film but I think going into it knowing as little as possible is in everyone's best interest. There is a lot of mystery within the movie about the central character's motivations and developments that I think are better to witness first hand. The moment the movie goes from good to great is one that would be a real shame to have spoiled, and how that moment voices the movie's opinions on its central themes is what really made me enjoy it so much.
The only issue I really had with the film were the moment to moments early on in the film. I think that in the grand scheme of things they are super important to the overall message, but that does not mean they weren't a bit boring to watch at times. Until the moment the movie goes from good to great I didn't really understand why people loved it so much, and I don't think the movie needed to sacrifice engagement for tying those scenes in to the central plot and themes. Regardless, this is a minor complaint and one that mostly goes away on a re-watch.
Recommendation: This film is absolutely not for everyone, but if what I said above seems appealing to you I highly recommend checking it out. I may not believe it is the "greatest movie ever made" and it is definitely not anywhere close to being my favorite movie, but that does not take away from the level of quality exhibited in this movie. "The Shawshank Redemption" is a fantastic movie, and one that anyone should watch if they can handle it.
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