"Shawshank Redemption"

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the film, "The Shawshank Redemption", the story of how the decades of life pass behind prison walls. It looks at how the story depicts the way the legal system can fail regarding the issue of justice and how the correctional system itself can be guilty of fraudulent behavior. Through familiarity of the characters, the audience is allowed to witness the despair of living behind the wall and the fear of returning to the world outside. It also discusses real-life transition and reentry and programs and costs for prisoner reentry and reintegration into society.

From the Paper:

"The protagonist, played by Tim Robbins, is Andy Dufresne, a reserved young banker convicted of killing his wife, even though the murder weapon was never found. When Andy arrives at Shawshank Prison, he befriends Red, played by Morgan Freeman. He is the guy to see for black-market items, such as cigarettes, candy, and whatever else one might want. Freeman's character narrates throughout the movie, giving insight into each character and how life operates inside prison. Red says that the first night is the toughest, "when they put you in that cell and those bars slam home, that's when you know it's for real. A whole life blown away in the blink of an eye. Nothing left but all the time in the world to think about it" (Shawshank 1994)."

More papers on "Shawshank Redemption":

• Film Review # 150394 : "The Shawshank Redemption": Themes of Hope and Fear"
• Essay # 54376 : "The Shawshank Redemption"
• Film Review # 22605 : "The Shawshank Redemption"

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