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The Shawshank Redemption is a 1994 American drama film written and directed by Frank Delabonte, based on Stephen King's 1982 novella Rita Hayworth and the Redemption of Shawshank Prison. The film tells the story of banker Andy Duffren, who was sentenced to life imprisonment on suspicion of murdering his wife and her lover, and after serving his sentence in Shawshank State Prison, he married Ellis, who was able to smuggle various prohibited goods for his fellow inmates." Red"Reading became friends while using financial talents for warden Samuel Norton and other prison officials and guards to launder money and evade taxes. Other cast members include William Thomas Sandler, Clancy Brown, Jill Bellos and James Whitmore.
Drabante bought the film adaptation of the novel as early as 1987, but it was not until five years later that he spent eight weeks rewriting it into a film script, kicking off the development of the film. He presented the script to CastleStone Entertainment and two weeks later raised a $25 million budget, and The Shawshank Redemption began pre-production in early 1993. The plot takes place in Maine, but the main filming from June to August 1993 was almost always done in Mansfield, Ohio, where the Ohio State Correctional Institution is the Shawshank Prison. Many stars are interested in playing the male lead and Andy, including Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise and Kevin Costner. Thomas Newman scored the film.
The Shawshank Redemption received widespread acclaim after its release, especially the plot and Robbins and Freeman's performances, but it did not perform well at the box office, with only $16 million in the first round of screenings. There are many reasons for the film's commercial failure, such as the competition between "Pulp Fiction" and "Forrest Gump", the general lack of public reception in prison-themed films, the absence of female characters in the film, and even many viewers feel confused about the title. However, this did not affect the film's numerous awards, including seven Academy Award nominations. After theatrical screenings and overseas distributions, the film's box office eventually increased to $58.3 million.
With more than 320,000 VHS tapes invested across the United States, The Shawshank Redemption achieved a record in the 1995 videotape rental version, thanks to major award nominations and word of mouth. After turner Broadcasting Company acquired CastleStone Entertainment, it obtained the television rights to broadcast the film, and since 1997, it has been regularly broadcast on the Turner Television Network to further enhance the popularity of the work. Today, The Shawshank Redemption is widely regarded as a 1990s cinematic masterpiece. Decades later, the film is still being shown regularly, and across borders and even continental boundaries, with ordinary viewers and celebrities calling the film a source of inspiration, and the film has topped numerous polls. In 2015, the film was inducted into the Library of Congress's National Film Register for "significant achievements in the fields of culture, history, and aesthetics."
1. Plot
In 1947, a Portland court in Maine convicted banker Andy Dufran of murdering his wife and her lover and sentenced him to two life sentences. After serving his sentence at Shawshank State Prison, Andy meets Ellis, who was also sentenced to life in prison." Red" Reading, who is able to smuggle various prohibited goods for his fellow inmates, and Andy buys a geological hammer and a huge poster of Rita Hayworth from Red. However, Andy, who works in the laundry room, is often sexually assaulted by the "Three Sisters" led by Burgess.
In 1949, while working, Andy heard Captain Byron Hadley complain about the government's inheritance tax, so he offered to help him avoid taxes legally. The three sisters beat Andy to hospital in another attempt to sexually assault, and Hadley beats Burgess into dementia. Burgess was then transferred to other prisons, and no one dared to bully Andy again. The warden, Samuel Norton, met with Andy and arranged for him to go to the prison library to assist brooks Hatrun, an elderly inmate, in order to provide and cover for Andy to give the prison staff, including him, money laundering and tax evasion, and even other prison personnel. Outside of work, Andy insisted on writing weekly letters to the state legislature asking for funds to improve the decaying prison library.
In 1954, Brooks, who had served 50 years in prison, was released on parole, but he was overwhelmed by the outside world and eventually hanged himself. The state legislature sent donations to the prison library, including records of "The Wedding of Figaro," and Andy turned on the public radio and played the aria "Time when the Breeze Blows Softly," only to be punished in solitary confinement. Afterwards, he told other inmates that he was hopeful when he was in solitary confinement, so it wasn't hard, and Red scoffed at it. In 1963, Norton began using prison labor to contract public works, taking advantage of low labor costs and receiving kickbacks to make a windfall. Andy reveals to Red that he used the pseudonym "Randall Stephens" when laundering money.
In 1965, Tommy Williams was imprisoned for theft and became friends with Andy and Red, who also helped him obtain a certificate in general education development. A year later, Tommy tells Andy and Red that while serving sentences in other prisons, he has met a prisoner who claims to have killed the banker's wife and lover, but ends up being the banker's culprit. Andy tells Norton the clues, but the warden does not believe it, Andy also says that he will not divulge the secret of money laundering when he is released from prison, and an angry Norton imprisons Andy in solitude, and then arranges for Hadley to shoot Tommy and disguise himself as the escape scene. Andy no longer wants to cooperate with the prison to launder money, but is forced to give in to Norton's threat of destroying the library, throwing him into a harsher area, and removing guards. After two months of solitary confinement, Andy told Rhett that he dreamed of living in the Mexican coastal town of Zihuatanejo, and that he had a package somewhere in Buxton, York County, Maine, and asked Red to pick it up after he was released. Red felt that Andy was behaving abnormally and feared that he would commit suicide, especially after learning that Andy had taken a rope of nearly two meters from another cellmate.
The next morning, during the roll call, the guards found Andy not in the cell. An enraged Norton smashed the stones in his hand around, one of which hit the Raquel Welch poster hanging on the wall and passed through it, only to find the large hole in the wall and the passage that Andy had dug with a stone hammer for 19 years. The camera returns to the night before, when Andy launders money and takes Norton's suit, shoes, and ledger proving the crime of money laundering, and uses a rope to escape from the passageway and the prison sewage pipe. During the security and police searches, he disguised himself as Randall Stephens withdrew a total of $370,000 from various banks and sent ledgers and other evidence of graft murders in Shawshank Prison to newspapers. State police rush to jail to arrest Hadley, and Norton chooses to commit suicide by swallowing a gun.
A year later, Reid, who had served 40 years in prison, was released on parole. He is also uncomfortable with the outside world, fearing that he will follow Brooks' old path. But remembering his promise to Andy, he came to Buxton to pick up the package, which contained cash and letters, and invited him to Zihuatanejo. Red violates parole rules to come to Fort Hancock, Hudspes County, Texas, and crosses the border into Mexico, where he finds Andy on the beach in Zihuatanejo at the end of the film, where two old friends hug happily.
2. Actor
Tim Robbins in 2012
Tim Robbins as Andy Duffron: A banker sentenced to life imprisonment in 1947 on suspicion of murdering his wife and her lover.
Morgan Freeman as Ellis Redding: Andy's friend, also sentenced to life imprisonment for murder, has a way to smuggle prohibited merchandise to his fellow inmates.
Bob Gunton as Samuel Norton: The warden of Shawshank Prison, pious but cruel.
William Thomas Sandler as Heywood: A member of The Red Gang, also sentenced to long prison terms.
Morgan Freeman in 2006
Clancy Brown as Byron Hadley: Captain of the prison guard, brutal.
Jill Beroth as Tommy Williams: A young prisoner imprisoned for theft in 1965.
James Whitmore as Brooks Hartlen: An early 20th-century veteran prisoner who works in the prison library.
Other cast include: Mark Roston as Burgess Dalemond, "Three Sisters" gang leader, prison rapist; Jeffrey Deman as the prosecutor who prosecuted Dufren; Alfonso Freeman as an old inmate who shouts "Here's new" to new inmates like Andy; Ned Barami and Don McManas as prison guards Yang Brad and Willie, respectively; Dion Anderson as Hedd Bull Hagg; Renée Brian as Mrs. Dufren, and Scott Mann as her golf coach mistress Glenn Quentin. Frank Medranor plays the big fat man, who goes to jail with Andy and is killed by Hadley that night; Bill Baldurn plays Elmo Brach, who was locked up in a cell with Tommy Williams, most likely the real murderer of Mrs. Andy and her lover; James Kissicky and Claire Slimmer interpret the manager and cashier of the Maine National Bank, respectively.
3. Analysis
Academic writings point out that The Shawshank Redemption is rooted in Christian mysticism, with Andy in the film, like a Messiah, a Jesus-like figure, and Red's line in the early part of the film that says that although he is in prison, he seems to be protected by an aura. Andy and his fellow inmates who tend the roof with tar can be seen as entertainment for the Last Supper, and Andy fights for beer (wine) for 12 inmates (disciples), if in the sunshine of freedom, like the "Lord of All Things" in Jesus' blessing. In this regard, director Frank De laBonte said that he has no intention of conveying the above ideas, but also hopes that the audience will have their own understanding of the film. The record "The Wedding of Figaro" in the script resembles a holy grail, and the prisoners stop listening, and the sick bed also stand up.
Warden Norton, the warden, calls Andy's savior by quoting Andy earlier in the film as "I am the light of the world", but this quote also refers to Lucifer, the messenger of light. The warden later proved with practical actions that he did not exercise the rule of law, but set rules and punishments that he considered appropriate, made his own laws, and acted like Satan. Academic articles also liken Norton to former U.S. President Richard Nixon, whose appearance and public speech have Nixon's shadow. Norton portrayed himself as a saint, speaking to prisoners and the public in a well-dressed manner, exploiting and corrupting in the name of serving society, and Nixon was notorious for similar acts.
Andy and Red reunited in footage of the Cape Sandy National Wildlife Refuge on St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, and the analysis article suggests that this place represents flight or paradise.
Critics argue that Zihuatanejo represents Elysium or Heaven in the film. According to Andy' description, there is no memory here, and it is possible to wash away sins by forgetting sins or washing them with the water of the Pacific, while "peace" means "calm and peaceful". Andy only mentions Zihuatanejo after acknowledging responsibility for his wife's death, and Red is only freed after admitting that the crimes were irreparable or unparable. Just as sinners must confess their sins in order to be redeemed and ascend to heaven. Red's line says that Andy has been redeemed, but he is indeed guilty, so he can only hope to be saved. Some Christian viewers see Sivatanejo as heaven, but according to Nietzsche's philosophy, it is also a place of innocence that transcends traditional notions of good and evil, and forgetting does not represent forgiveness, it is the destruction of sin, so Andy's goal is more secular and has nothing to do with God. Audiences can see Andy as a Saint like Jesus on the one hand, and as a Prophet like Zarathustra on the other, escaping from captivity through education and experience freedom. Film critic Roger Ebert believes that the film is a parable for people to maintain a sense of self-worth when they are in desperate situations. Andy's integrity is an important theme in the film, especially in prisons where integrity is often lacking.
Tim Robbins argues that an important reason For Zihuatanejo resonates with audiences is that it represents an escape from suffering, which is tempting for anyone who thinks they've been in some kind of "cage" for years— such as a harsh work, life, and social environment, and more importantly, people need to believe that there is such a place for people to escape. Isaac Morehouse believes that the film shows from a very grand perspective how the character can be free, whether he is in a cage, imprisoned, even if he is still free, he can find the freedom he wants according to different views of life. The philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre argued that freedom is an ongoing goal that requires attention and resilience, without which people fall into the domination of other people or institutions, just as Red believed that prisoners' lives were inseparable from prisons. Andy's rebellion showed resilience, using prison loudspeakers to play music and refusing to continue laundering money for managers.
The film contains a large number of film elements, which can be seen as a tribute to the influence of the film. Inmates watch the 1946 film Gilda in the prison theater, but the 1945 film Lost Weekend was originally scheduled to be screened here. The prison theater's ability to change the planned film shows that the prisoner does not care about the content of the film, but only reflects the feeling of escaping from reality. Andy is immediately attacked by the three sisters in the screening room, using film film to defend himself. Later, Andy used the cover of the movie poster to dig out the passage and eventually escaped from Shawshank Prison.
Other commentators argue that Andy and Red's relationship has transcended gender restrictions, that there are few similar same-sex relationships in other films, and that their friendship has nothing to do with small talk, car chases, or the pursuit of women. The philosopher Alexander Hook pointed out that andy and Red's friendship is the true freedom of the two, that is, to be able to share happiness and humor with each other.
4. Production
4.1. Development
In 1987, Frank Delabonte bought the film adaptation of the novel Rita Hayworth and the Redemption of Shawanke Prison for five thousand dollars
Stephen King has helped make a name for himself with the Dollar Baby program. In 1983, Drabante bought the film adaptation rights to "The Woman in the Room" from him for a dollar and made it into a short film, which was also the first time the two worked together. In 1987, Drabante was first listed as a screenwriter for film with "Ghost Street 3", and then contacted Kim and bought the film adaptation of "Rita Hayworth and the Redemption of Shawshank Prison" for five thousand dollars. The 96-page novella is part of King's 1982 collection The Strange Tales of the Four Seasons, and the author's attempts at other genres in addition to the horror novels on which he became famous. Much of the novel is about Red taking care of his cellmate Andy for a long time, and King thought it would be difficult to adapt into a movie about such a subject, but Delabonte thought the answer was "obvious." King never exchanged the $5,000 cheque that Drabante had brought, and he later framed it and returned it to Drabante with the following instructions: "Just in case you need bail one day." Love your Steve".
Five years later, Delabonte spent eight weeks adapting the novel into a screenplay, adding much to the original. Brooks in the novel has very few scenes, and eventually dies in a nursing home, and the film is changed to a tragic character who eventually hangs himself. In the novel, Tommy uses evidence to send Andy to a better prison, and in the film, he is ordered to be killed by norton, the warden. In addition, Norton is a combination of multiple wardens in King's novel, and Delabonte decides to use a single warden character as the main villain in the film. According to the director, frank capra's several absurd stories have had a great influence on the film, such as "Mr. Smith to Washington" in 1939 and "How Beautiful Life Is" in 1946, in his view, "The Shawshank Redemption" is more like an absurd story than a prison movie. Other films have also influenced the film, such as the 1990 film "Good Guys" using dialogue to indicate the passage of time in the script, and John Frankheimer's 1962 prison drama "Alcatraz's Bird Keeper". While searching for a filming location for the film, Delabont happened to meet Frankheimer, who was also choosing the site for the prison-themed film Silent X-Men, and according to DellaBondt, Frankheimer took the time to encourage him and give advice.
In the first half of the 1990s, prison films were generally unpopular with audiences and unlikely to be a box office hit, but Castle Rock Entertainment producer Liz Glosser was interested in prison subject matter and satisfied with Derabont's script, and she even threatened to resign if the company refused to produce. The company's founder and director, Rob Reina, also liked Delabont's script and offered to direct it himself and offer a budget of $2.4 million to $3 million. Rayner had adapted King's 1982 novella Always Find You into the 1986 film Walk With Me, and he planned to ask Tom Cruise to play Andy and Harrison Ford to interpret Red.
CastleStone Entertainment said it was willing to fund any other films that Drabante planned to make. When drabante was purchased by Variety magazine in 2014, he said that although his family had financial difficulties growing up in Los Angeles, accepting suggestions could greatly improve his position in the industry, and CastleStone Entertainment could completely fire him on contract and let Rayner be the director, but after careful consideration, he decided to direct himself: "You can always delay the realization of your dreams in exchange for money, and eventually you may die without completing what you wanted to do in the first place." In the end, Rayner directed Delabonte on filmmaking. Two weeks after presenting the script to Castlestone Entertainment, Delabonte raised a $25 million budget for the film, which included $750,000 in writer's and director salaries plus a share of net profits, and the film began pre-production in early 1993.
4.2. Casting
Clancy Brown (at the 2015 San Diego Comic Con)
On the recommendation of producer Liz Glosser, Morgan Freeman was selected to appear in the novel "White Irish" Red, in which Red's English "Red" also means red, because red hair is very common among Irish. In the film, when Andy asks Red the origin of his nickname, the other party replies ," probably because I'm Irish. Freeman deliberately did not study the roles to be played on the grounds that "playing a prisoner does not require a particular knowledge of captivity... Because people don't change, after being in that environment, you know what to say and how to do it." Morriman played a minor role in the 1980 prison drama film The Black Storm, through which Drabante remembered his name. Robbins grew up watching the children's TV show "Electric Company", and Morriman was the main actor in the show, so Robbins was very excited about the partnership.
The director initially wanted to invite his favorite actors to interpret Andy Duffron, such as Kim Hackman and Robert Duvall, but neither of them could pull out the slot, and he also considered Clint Eastwood and Paul Newman at one point. Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks and Kevin Costner did not accept the offer, with Hanks having decided to star in Forrest Gump and Coscona starring in Future Waterworld. In addition, Johnny Depp, Nicolas Cage and Charlie Sean have all been in the director's field of vision. Cruise read the script and refused to star, feeling that Derabonte was inexperienced. According to the director, he decided to ask Robbins to star after watching the 1990 psychological horror film "The Otherworldly Floating Life". When Selected, Robbins highly recommended veteran photographer Roger Deakins, who had collaborated with Robbins on The Agent of Hedsack (1994). To play the role, Robbins observes caged animals at the zoo, experiences an afternoon of solitary confinement, communicates with inmates and guards in prison, and even handcuffs his arms and legs for hours.
Brad Pitt had been selected to play Tommy, but quit after the success of Selma and Louise, and the role was replaced by newcomer Jill Bellos. James Gandolfini declined to play Burgess, the leader of the three sisters. Bob Gunton took the time to audition for the role of Warden Norton during the filming of the 1993 sci-fi comedy "The Dragon Over the Sky.". To persuade the production company, De la Bonte and producer Nikki Marvin arranged for Gunton to take a day off during the show to make audition videos. Filming "Dragons Over the Sky" required him to shave off his hair, so in the audition video he wore a wig prepared by Drabante and others. Gunton wanted Norton in the film to have hair so that he could dye to match the passage of time in the plot. The audition was shot by Deakins, with Gunton and Robbins performing together. After being selected as warden, he wore the wig early in the film's production until it grew. Gunton also said that Marvin and Delabont thought he really understood the essence of the character, so they asked him to star, and because he was similar in height to Robbins, the warden's suit fit Ony.
Clancy Brown, who was selected to play the prison guard captain Byron Hadley, had the opportunity to communicate with the retired prison guard through the arrangement of the crew liaison, but he felt that the role he was about to play was very cruel, and if such a character actually had the guidance of the real-life Russian state correctional personnel, it was really difficult to hear it, so he chose to refuse the opportunity to communicate. According to William Thomas Sandler, who plays Heywood, Delabont came to the filming site of the TV series "Magic World" in 1989 and asked Sandler, who was the screenwriter, to star in a film adaptation to be produced. Freeman's son Alfonso makes a cameo appearance in the film, and the photo of his youth on Red's parole profile is his photo, while also playing an old prisoner such as Andy who shouts "New people are coming" when they just arrive at the prison. The extras in the film range from the warden and inmate of the former Ohio State Penitentiary to the current guards of a nearby incarceration. The title of the original novel attracted many people to audition for Rita Hayworth, and even a drag queen, but there was no such role in the film.
4.3. Filming
The fictional Shawshank Prison in the film was filmed at the Ohio State Correctional Home (also known as the Mansfield Correctional Home).
The Shawshank Redemption has a $25 million budget. Filming of the film's subjects began in June 1993 and ended in August of the same year, taking three months. Crews typically shoot six days a week and work up to 18 hours a day. Freeman said the filming was very tense, saying that "the relationship between the actor and the director was tense most of the time, and I remember that sometimes I couldn't get along with the director." De la Bonte asked for part of the shot to be shot multiple times, but Freeman felt there was no clear difference. For example, The first time Andy asked Red to buy a stone hammer, it took nine hours to shoot, and Freeman's baseball kick was repeatedly crashed, so that the next day he came to the set with his arms wrapped around the suspenders. Freeman sometimes even refused to shoot repetitive shots that felt superfluous. Robbins also said that the filmmaking process was long and arduous. Delabonte admits to having benefited greatly from the filming of the film, "the director must have a scale in his heart and know how to instruct every actor." In his opinion, the photographer Deakins who disagreed with him the most during filming was the photographer, and Deabant wanted the scenery to be beautiful, but Deakins felt that he should try to shoot as little as possible outside the prison, which could enhance the claustrophobia of the film, and once the wide-angle shot appeared, it could make the picture more shocking.
Marvin spent five months searching across the United States and Canada for suitable abandoned prisons for filming, both for a lasting aesthetic and for them to be completely decommissioned, because film footage needs to be shot for hours a day, and shooting in prisons that have not yet been deactivated is a safety hazard. She chose the Ohio State Penitentiary in Mansfield, Ohio, to film the film's fictional Shawshank State Prison in Maine, which was chosen primarily for gothic masonry. The penitentiary closed in 1990 due to lack of humanity, three years after the filming of The Shawshank Redemption began.
The 6.07-hectare penitentiary, with its own power plant and farm, was partially demolished shortly after the filming was completed, leaving only the main management building and two prison buildings. Many of the prison's unique interior facilities, such as the warden's cell and the warden's office, were filmed in the penitentiary. The boarding house where Brooks and Red lived was filmed inside the administration building, but the exterior was filmed elsewhere. The crew set up a set at the nearby deactivated Westinghouse Electric Factory to shoot shots of the inside of the cell. Drabont asked the cell to be facing the other cells, and the crew set up a special location at the Westinghouse Electric Factory, where almost all the bridges in the cell were completed, except for elmo Bracci's confession to killing Mrs. Dufrem and her lover, which was filmed in a real prison cell. The film was also filmed in Mansfield and nearby Ashland. At the end of the film, Andy hides the letter to Red under an oak tree that is actually located near Malabar Farm State Park in Lucas, Richland County, Ohio, before being blown down by high winds in 2016.
In the film, Brooks and Red live at the Halfway House after being released on parole, and the actual location is the Bissman Mansion in Mansfield, Ohio
Ends with Andy and Red reuniting in Sihuatanejo, Mexico, but just as the maine prison was filmed in Ohio, the scene in Sivatanejo was actually filmed on St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands in the Caribbean, and the beach is actually located at the Island's Cape Sandy National Wildlife Refuge for the protection of leatherback turtles. Red and his inmates were working as carpenters when they heard the footage from "Figaro's Wedding," which was filmed at Upper Sandowski's carpentry shop, which was later renamed "Shawshank Carpentry"; the opening courtroom scene was filmed at the Wynndott County Courthouse. Other filming locations include the Purg Cabin in Malabar Farm State Park, which was used to film the scene in which Andy sits outside and his wife steals love inside. The small Maine village of Buxton in the film is actually Butler, a small town in Richland County, Ohio. Brooks and Red lived at Halfway House after being released on parole, where the Bisman Mansion was actually filmed in Mansfield.
Delabont's initial idea of the escape section was for Andy to use a stone hammer to smash open the sewer pipe, but then realized that this was impossible, so he used large stones instead. In the film, Andy crawls from a feces-filled sewage pipe to freedom, but Robbins is actually traveling through water, chocolate syrup, and wood chips. According to the film's art director, Terrence Marsh, Andy fell into a creek after climbing the sewage pipe, and the water inside was actually poisonous. The crew partially blocked the lower reaches of the stream, deepening the stream and purifying the water by chlorination. Robbins said, "When making a movie, you should pay attention to obedience like a soldier, and don't delay everyone's work, even if you sometimes need to take the risk of harming your health or endangering your own safety." According to the original plan, the scene lasted much longer and was more dramatic, requiring Andy to cross the field and run on the train with Andy, but because the shooting time was only one night, it was shortened to Andy standing in the water in the rain and stretching his arms to make a victory gesture. Deakins was dissatisfied with the cinematography of the scene, believing that the lighting was too bright at the time; but the director felt that the cinematographer did not need to be so arrogant. In his opinion, considering that the shooting time at that time was very fast, and his requirements for timing and accuracy were very high, Deakins had to determine very accurately which shots needed to be shot, and how to shoot them. In a 2019 interview, Drabante regretted the rush to finish filming, which led to the failure to capture close-ups of Andy's face as he climbed out of his cell.
In the film, Andy deliberately violated the guard's order to play music through the prison radio because of Robbins's idea, which was originally set to turn off the music. The inmates watched rita Hayworth's film Gilda, which was also different from the original plan, and was supposed to show Billy Wilder's film "Lost Weekend", which talked about the dangers of alcoholism. This was mainly because Paramount Pictures, which owned the rights to Lost Weekend, was asking for too much, and producer Marvin contacted Columbia Pictures, which owned the domestic distribution rights of The Shawshank Redemption, which listed low-priced films, including Gilda. Most of the scenes in and around the film are filmed in and around the prison, so most of the shots are shot chronologically according to different eras of the plot. This, in turn, is good for the actors' performances, as their real-life relationships can also develop like the characters in the film. According to Drabante, andy told Red of his dream of going to Mexico to live a relatively late scene, and he often re-watched the scene when looking back on the film's production process, praising Robbins and Freeman for achieving satisfactory results after only a few shots.
4.4. Post-production
The Shawshank Redemption was finally released in theaters for 142 minutes, ending with a declaration that Alan Green, who had been the director's agent, died of AIDS during the filming of the film. The first cut of the film was nearly two and a half hours long, and Grosser thought it was too long, so he cut out multiple scenes, such as the bridge section that red used to adapt to the outside world after he was released from prison. Drabante said that the audience for the first cut of the test screening seemed to be very impatient with the content, thinking that Red would definitely commit suicide. Another deleted section is the prison guards investigating Andy's escape route, which was cut because it slowed down the pace of the movie. The film begins with a cold opening, beginning with and about Andy's alleged crime, with court scenes interspersed with opening credits, but then these are edited together to create a more "powerful" start. There is also a scene in the script where the director thinks he is most proud of the scene that could not be filmed due to the limitations of the production cycle, which tells the story of Red dreaming that he was sucked into a poster of Rita Hayworth, and then he was alone on the Pacific coast, saying: "I am so frightened that there is no way home." De la Bonte deeply regretted not being able to make this segment.
According to the director's original vision, the film ended when Red's passenger car went to the Mexican border, leaving suspense for the fate that followed, but Glozer insisted on adding a shot of Red and Andy reuniting in Zihuatanejo. Producers said Mr. Drabante felt the ending was too commercial and not subtle, but she wanted viewers to see the two reunited. CastleStone Entertainment agreed to fund the filming of the scene, while promising the director the right to keep the filming rights, and eventually the film could include this segment or not. The reunion was supposed to be longer, and both Andy and Red quoted what the two had said when they first met, but Delabonte felt that such content was a bit clever and decided to cut it out. The beach reunion was a favorite part of the test screening audience, and both Freeman and Robbins felt that such an ending was necessary. The director, seeing the response from the test screening audience, agreed to include the segment in the final version, saying that the feeling of watching the characters finally reach the end point through a long journey is both magical and exhilarating.
4.5. Music
The soundtrack was composed by Thomas Newman, who felt that even the lack of music in the film was enough to produce a strong appeal, so it was difficult to take the plot to new heights without distracting the audience. After Andy escaped from prison, the music that sounded was called "The Shawshank Redemption", and the theme was originally composed of three notes, but the director felt that this was too "triumphant and traceable" and asked to change to a single note theme. After Red's release, "Red Has Come Too" rang out until he discovered Andy's possessions, and Newman was very satisfied with this period. The music began as an oboe solo, and the composer reluctantly agreed to join the harmonica part at the request of the director, meaning that Red received the harmonica left to him by Andy and continued the journey of hope. According to Delabonte, harmonica player Tommy Morgan improvises the most perfect tune with just one stroke, the version the film ultimately contains. Newman's soundtrack was so successful that it was adopted in trailers for many films for many years thereafter.
5. Issuance
5.1. Cinema screening
The film was screened before its official release. The response to the test screening was said to have been extremely enthusiastic, with the audience "straight to the roof", and Glosser also said that she rarely saw such a good test response. Producers wanted to attract "more prestigious audiences," but Stephen King, who became famous for his pulp magazine works like The Shining and Rabid Kuchu, was likely to be unpopular with such audiences, so most of the film's promotional materials did not list Kim's name.
Premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and the Renaissance Theatre in Mansfield in September 1994, and then in Limited Edition in North America from the 23rd onwards, the first weekend grossed $727,000 at 33 theaters, an average of $22,040 per house. Following Hollywood tradition, De la Bonte and Glazer traveled to the theaters on the night of the film's release to learn what the audience was saying, and the two arrived at the Dome Cinema on Sunset Boulevard, only to find that there was no one inside. Glosser said the two were also selling two tickets at the cinema and promised each other that if they were not satisfied, they could contact CastleStone Entertainment for refunds. While many reviews praised the film, Glouzer believed that the Los Angeles Times' article criticizing the film's lackluster led to audience drain. On October 14, 1994, "The Shawshank Redemption" began to be fully released, showing a total of 944 theaters, but only earned $2.4 million in the first weekend, an average of $2545 per film, ranking ninth among all movies, less than the $3 million sex comedy "Daredevil Island", slightly higher than the $2.1 million "Witty Q&A", of which "Witty Q&A" has been released for five weeks. By the end of its screening in late November 1994, The Shawshank Redemption had grossed about $16 million, a box office bomb that failed to recover the $25 million budget, not to mention the cost of publicity and the share of theater merchants.
The film faced stiff competition from rivals during its release, such as Pulp Fiction (the final box office of $108 million), which had just won the Palme d'Or and premiered on October 14, and Forrest Gump ($330 million), which had been a hit for 42 weeks, both of which became very popular cultural phenomena. At this time, American moviegoers were generally keen on action movies, so the films starring Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger were also unfavorable to the release of The Shawshank Redemption. Freeman thought the title was inappropriate and the audience couldn't remember it, and Robbins said that some fans asked him, "What is that movie called 'shrinking and reducing'? Before the film was released, distributors had considered other names for fear that the title would not be promoted, but it was not adopted. In addition, the lack of female characters in the film to expand the audience group, prison-themed films are generally unpopular at this time, and the lack of market excitement in the publicity process are all important reasons for the film's commercial failure.
After receiving seven Academy Award nominations in early 1995, the film was re-released in February and March, earning another $12 million, raising the total box office in North America to $28.3 million, and adding $30 million in other overseas markets, bringing the film's global box office to $58.3 million. The film was ranked 51st at the 1994 U.S. domestic box office and numbered out of all R-rated films.
5.2. Home media and television broadcasts
The film didn't do well at the box office, but Warner Home Video still shipped 320,000 boxes of rental tapes of the film across the United States in 1995, which was a very risky thing at the time. In the end, "The Shawshank Redemption" topped the 1995 film and video rental list. The film has received a lot of recommendations, many customers have watched it repeatedly, and both men and women have a high evaluation, and these factors have a joint impact, prompting the theater to lose the east corner of the film and receive mulberry.
In 1993, Ted Turner's Turner Broadcasting Company acquired CastleStone Entertainment and launched the TV channel Turner Television Network, which acquired the cable television rights to the film. According to Glazer, the film box office is not ideal, so Turner Tv Network only needs to pay a very low cost to play the film, while also charging high advertising fees. In June 1997, the film began to be broadcast regularly on the station, and the cumulative number of broadcasts set a new record, which was considered by some commentators to be the root cause of the great attention and development of "The Shawshank Redemption" after the box office fiasco and developed into a cultural phenomenon. De la Bonte believes that the turning point in the film's success was the Academy Award nomination, saying that the film was originally "unknown, but the Oscars mentioned its name seven times that year." In 1996, Warner Media merged with Turner Broadcasting, and the rights to The Shawshank Redemption were transferred to Warner Bros., a subsidiary of Warner Media.
As of 2013, "The Shawshank Redemption" has aired on 15 basic cable channels, and the total air time of the year is 151 hours, comparable to 1983's Scarface, second only to 1993's "Daddy Daddy". Movies are among the top 15 percent of movies with the highest rated ratings in spike, Up, Saint-Tempsi TV and Lifetime TV Channels between the ages of 18 and 49. Although there are basically no actresses, the film is still the best-receiving film on the Oprah Winfrey Television Network, which is mainly aimed at female audiences. In 2014, the Wall Street Journal published an article estimating that "The Shawshank Redemption" had earned $100 million based on the share of the producer's revenue from box office, home media sales, television broadcast rights and other revenues. Jeff Baker, then executive vice president and general manager of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, said the film had made about $80 million in home media sales. Although the film's television rights revenue is unknown, according to a 2014 Warner Bros. executive, the company's film library is worth a total of $1.5 billion, and "The Shawshank Redemption" is a valuable asset. That same year, Gunton claimed to have brought him six-figure royalties when he claimed to be the tenth anniversary of the film (2004) and earned him "considerable income" every year since then, which is very rare considering that the film has been in theaters for many years.
6. Repercussions
6.1. Professional evaluation
Roger Deakins' photography has been praised by film critics and has won the American Society of Cinematographers Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography
"The Shawshank Redemption" received widespread acclaim after its release. Some critics have compared the film to critically acclaimed prison- or prison-like drama films such as Alcatelz's Bird Keeper, Flying Over the Madhouse, And The Great Prison Riot. Gene Siske said that "The Shawshank Redemption," like "Flying Over the Madhouse," is an inspirational film about fighting against overbearing authority.
Owen Griberman wrote in Entertainment Weekly praising Freeman's role as Red who was real and believable, giving people a sense of substitution. The New York Times published an article by Janet Maslin, which also praised Freeman's outstanding performance, lamenting that the role of Red had a limited role in the film, and was largely just a bystander to Andy. In her opinion, Freeman's brilliant performance has made the role far beyond the needs of onlookers. Maslin said Rhett's interpretation of the prison walls was particularly touching, according to Maslin. Leonard Clardy of "Variety" believes that Freeman's role is "more dramatic", destined that the character will not be mediocre, and always maintain elegance and dignity. Deson Howe called Freeman a "master" of comedy and poignant rhythms through the Washington Post. Kenneth Turan's comments in the Los Angeles Times, although the overall impression of the film was not good, and the producer Grosser even thought that the film's box office failure was due to him, he still praised Freeman in the article, saying that he "easily raised "The Shawshank Redemption" to the nearest level it should be."
Griberman believes that Andy belongs to the modern version of Gary Cooper's character, kind and concise, but Robbins' performance does not resonate with the audience. Maslin thinks Andy's image is softer, but Robbins's interpretation is more intense, effectively depicting the character's transition from a new inmate to an older parent. Claddy believes that Robbins's portrayal of the character is deep and not fancy, precise, honest and smooth, which is an important pillar of the film. Dessen Howe thinks andy is like a "cheesy messiah" who can easily draw everyone around, like "Forrest Gump in prison", but Robbins exudes the right innocence to make the storyline real and believable. The Hollywood Reporter reviewed that both Freeman and Robbins gave great and layered performances to the film that set the characters apart, and Peter Travis of Rolling Stone magazine believed that the characters created by the two actors were "powerful and moving beyond repudiation". Claddy also praised Gunton and Brown's performances as "extremely real and believable" to the evil image of the character; but Dessen Howe believed that Gunton's interpretation of the warden was full of clichés, praising himself with religious virtues and murder on the other.
Maslin thinks it's amazing that Delabont's directorial debut is so performing, with a storyline full of tenderness and unexpectedly rich love, and Clardy feels that the only drawback of the film is that Dellabante spends too much ink on supporting roles or side plots. The Hollywood Reporter praised the directors and writers for their clean and neat performance, but criticized the film for being too long. Claddy believes that the long time, softened tone, humor and accidents of "The Shawshank Redemption" will weaken the film's appeal to mainstream audiences, but the depiction of prisoner nature in the film is fascinating. Griberman dismissed the film's disregard for prisoners' crimes and deliberately portrayed them as good people. Turan resented what he considered to be extremely violent and the rape scenes, because after these contrasts, most of the prisoners seemed to be good people with soft hearts, as if to cast a "rose-colored light" on prison life. Claddy as a whole considered The Shawshank Redemption to be "precious and unforgettable," like a rough drill with only minor flaws; but D.S. Howe criticized the film for deviating from the main thrust of the side plot too much, and the end of the film should leave suspense, and should not be filmed to cater to the audience and shoot a scene of Andy and Red reuniting. Roger Ebert points out that the success of this story is not Andy's heroic deeds, but Red's perception and understanding of him.
Dickins' photography was also appreciated as usual, with The Hollywood Reporter calling the film's shots full of foreboding and superb design, with Travis arguing that the shots in the film were carefully arranged to reflect the hardships of everyday life in prison, with viewers almost feeling the frustration and anger permeating the inmates' skin. Griberman praised the scene, arguing that "the mossy darkness of saturated images conveys a soft sense of pleasure, feeling as if you can reach out and touch the walls of a prison." The Hollywood Reporter believes that Newman's score is of the highest personal standard, and the musical atmosphere is radiant, the tone is bright and elegant, and it perfectly matches the core theme of the film. Claddy argues that the soundtrack "strikes the right balance between melancholy and absurdity."
6.2 Honor
The Shawshank Redemption was nominated seven times at the 67th Academy Awards, setting a new record for a film adaptation of Stephen King's work: Best Picture (Marvin), Best Actor (Freeman), Best Adapted Screenplay (De la Bonter), Best Cinematography (Deakins), Best Editing (Richard Francis Bruce), Best Sound Effects (Robert Little, Elliot Tyson, Michael Hebic, and Willie Blanchard). D. Burton), and Best Original Score (Newman, first nominated), but neither won. The film was also nominated for two nominations at the 52nd Golden Globe Awards for Best Actor in a Drama Series and Best Screenplay for Delabonte.
Robbins and Freeman were both nominated for Best Actor at the 1995 Screen Actors Guild Awards; Drabant was nominated for Best Director in a Feature Film at the 1994 Directors Guild of America Awards and nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay at the Writers Guild of America Awards. Deakins received the Society of Cinematographers Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography for Cinematography, and producer Marvin was nominated for the 1994 Producers Guild of America Golden Laureate.
7. Impact
The Shawshank tree in Lucas, which has become a symbol of hope, was struck by lightning in 2011 and blown down by high winds in 2016
Drabante has since brought King's novels to the big screen twice, in 1999's Miracle in the Greens and 2007's The Mist. In a 2016 interview, King said he was most satisfied with all the film adaptations of his work, such as "The Shawshank Redemption" and "Walk with Me."
At the end of the film, Andy hides the letters and cash left for Red under the oak tree, which is later named "Shawshank Tree" and becomes a symbol of hope. According to the 2016 New York Times, thousands of tourists come to see the tree every year. On July 29, 2011, the Shawshank tree was split by lightning, and news anchors, newspapers and websites across the United States rushed to report it, and the news even crossed the ocean to the Indian website. Around July 22, 2016, the tree was completely blown down by a strong wind and the rest was sawn off in April 2017. The remnants of the Shawshank tree were later made with stone hammers and magnets to make a "Shawshank Redemption" souvenir.
The Ohio State Correctional Home (aka Mansfield Correctional Home), which was used to film The Shawshank Prison, was originally planned to be completely demolished after filming was completely completed, and later converted into a tourist attraction. Enthusiastic fans formed the Mansfield Correctional Institution Preservation Society, bought the abandoned building from the Ohio state government for a dollar in 2000, and began to maintain it according to the standards of the prison and the historical landmarks of the film's filming location. News reports in 2019 estimated that attractions earned an average of $16 million a year. Many of the rooms and props remained intact, such as the sewage pipes where Andy escaped, and a small cut of the end oak tree, which was obtained after the tree was split by lightning in 2011. Fans are also interested in the perimeter of the penitentiary, with local merchants launching "ShawShen Sandwiches" and prison-shaped ring cakes. According to statistics provided by the Mansfield/Richland County Convention and Tourism Board (later renamed Mansfield Destination), local tourism revenue has increased year by year since the film's release, with about 18,000 visitors coming in 2013, contributing more than $3 million to the local economy. The Mansfield destination opened the Shawshank Route, passing through 15 film-related locations, including Mansfield, Ashland, Upper Sandowski and St. Croix. In 2018, the line's operating revenue was $16.9 million.
In late August 2014, Mansfield celebrated the 20th anniversary of the film's release with a series of events, including a film screening at the Renaissance Theatre, a coach tour of some of the filming locations, and a cocktail party at the Penitentiary. Cast members such as Gunton, Scott Mann, Renee Brian and James Kissicky attended some of the events. In August 2019, a similar 25th anniversary celebration was held with guests including De la Bond, Brian, Mann, Gunton, Alfonso Freeman, Belos, Roston, Claire Slimmer, and Frank Medrano. Mr. Dellabonte said it was his first return to Mansfield after the film was completed, and it was only here that he could feel the far-reaching impact of the film, adding: "It's surreal to hear people talk about that film after all these years."
7.1, the test of time
According to 73 review articles collected by Rotten Tomatoes, The Shawshank Redemption has a 90% "freshness" rating and an average rating of 8.18 (up to 10). The website's consensus commentary reads: "The Shawshank Redemption is emotionally rich and well-performed, and it is an exhilarating and deeply satisfying prison drama masterpiece." Metacritic scored 80 (up to 100) based on 20 reviews, representing "universal praise."
In 1999, film critic Roger Ebert added the film to his list of "great films." Since 1998, the American Film Institute has been conducting a series of consecutive centennial film history awards, and "The Shawshank Redemption" has been selected or nominated many times. In 1998, the film was nominated for the AFI Top 100 Films of the Year, but although it was not on the list, it ranked 72nd in the re-selection ten years later, surpassing Forrest Gump (No. 76) and Pulp Fiction (No. 94). The film was ranked 23rd in the AFI 100 Inspirational Movies of the 100 Years in 2006. Andy and Warden Norton were nominated for AFI's 100 Heroes and Villains; the line "Get busy livin', or get busy dyin' was nominated for AFI's 100-year movie line; "Breeze Blowing Time" ("Figaro's Wedding") was nominated for AFI's 100-year film song, and Newman's score was nominated for AFI's 100-year film score.
In 2005, the Writers Guild of America voted the 101 most outstanding screenplays in history, and the screenplay of the film ranked 22nd. The following year, The British Channel 4's Film4 channel selected "50 must-see movies before death", and "The Shawshank Redemption" ranked 13th. In 2014, a poll of 2,120 Hollywood entertainment practitioners showed that The Shawshank Redemption ranked fourth in terms of recognition, with entertainment lawyers having the highest recognition. In 2017, the Daily Telegraph ranked the film 17th in its list of the best films of all time, and USA Today ranked third among the 50 greatest films of all time in the same year. In 2019, GamesRadar+ also named The Shawshank Redemption on the list of the greatest films of all time.
The Shawshank Redemption has also appeared on lists of the great films of the 1990s by many media outlets, such as Slate and New Music Express magazines (2012), General Magazine (2013), CHUD.com (2014), MSN (2015), TheWrap, and Maxim and Rolling Stone magazines (2017).
7.2. Cultural influences
In November 2014, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release of The Shawshank Redemption, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences held a one-night special screening at the Samuel Goldwin Theater in Beverly Hills, California. In 2015, the film was inducted into the Library of Congress's National Film Register for "significant achievements in the fields of culture, history, and aesthetics." De la Bonte was thrilled: "I can't think of anything in the world that has a greater sense of honor than 'The Shawshank Redemption' being selected for the legacy of the motherland's films. An article published in Variety magazine argues that "Shawshank" has become synonymous with prisons, reminiscent of prison scenes.
The public acceptance of films has endured, and in most cases has exceeded the point where critics can resort to the pen. Freeman said in an interview that people everywhere he went told him that "The Shawshank Redemption" was the greatest movie in their eyes, and that such praise could be described as "opening his mouth and coming.". Robbins also said he dared to swear to the gods that wherever he went, people told him, "That movie changed my life." Stephen King said in an interview that even if The Shawshank Redemption is not the best film adaptation of his novel, "it can at least rank in the top three, and it is most likely to be the first in the minds of fans, because the film can basically rank in the top few in all similar surveys... I hadn't even thought about it before." In 2014, Variety magazine published an interview with Robbins claiming that South African politician Nelson Mandela had told Robbins that he really liked The Shawshank Redemption. Many athletes claimed the film as a source of their confidence and courage, such as Johnny Wellerson (UK), Augustine Pickett (Argentina), Al Charon (Canada) and Dan Lyle (USA), and Sarah, Duchess of York, said the same. Gunton claims to have met fans of the film in Morocco, Australia, South America, Germany, France and Bora Bora. Director Stephen Spielberg described the film as chewing gum, "sticking to your shoe as soon as you step on it." On the occasion of the film's 25th anniversary, DellaBonte said that the older generation of audiences shared it with the new generation, making the film enduring.
In 2008, The Shawshank Redemption surpassed the Godfather in the "Top 250" list of users in the Internet Movie Database, and has been at the top of the list since the late 1990s. Readers of Empire Magazine voted the film the best movie of the 1990s, then the best movie of all time in 2006, the fourth in the "Top 500 Movies of All Time" in 2008, and the "Top 100 Movies" in 2017. In March 2011, BBC Radio One and BBC Digital Radio One listeners voted the film as their favourite film. In 2013, Sky Television conducted a poll to select the greatest of all the films that missed the Academy Award for Best Picture, and "The Shawshank Redemption", which lost to Forrest Gump that year, won. The results of the 2015 YouGov poll showed that the film was still the favorite film of British audiences, and after analyzing the age distribution of the population in this survey, the British Film Association pointed out that "The Shawshank Redemption", although not a favorite of voters of all ages, could at least rank in the top 15, indicating that the film can resonate with audiences of any age. In contrast, Pulp Fiction is more popular with young voters, and the elderly have a green eye for Gone with the Wind.
In 2017, Gatwick conducted a poll of passengers to select the top ten movies they had seen while flying, and "The Shawshank Redemption" ranked fourth. British film critic Mark Kermod interviewed many American fans that same year, and they felt that watching the film was like a "religious experience." A 2015 poll showed that the film was still a favourite among New Zealand film fans. The enduring enthusiasm of fans ensures that the film is always at the forefront of the most popular films of all time.