This was a great story about two friends who understand each other, to put it in the simplest sense. For me, that’s always the best way to go. These two men have been convicted and meet in the Shawshank Jail in Maine. As the decades pass in prison, their relationship gains a trust and an understanding.
There’s an interesting twist at the end. And if you haven’t seen this movie and want to, please do not read on. One never really expects someone who just got granted their parole after forty years to want to return to jail. He claimed it was the only place he felt safe. This is why the relationship between Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman is so intriguing, At least in the beginning, they seem to have complete opposite experiences in prison. Freeman is a veteran, who knows the ins and outs of the whole institution. He feels safe within the barred windows. Robbins is a rookie, a victim of abuse almost immediately, and can think of nothing other than escaping the walls that confine him to a life of torture.
One can assume that there is a type of mentor-student relationship that develops between these two characters. It isn’t until they are both released into the real world (one illegally and the other legally) that the roles completely switch. Robbins sails off into the sunset of his freedom, and Freeman chooses to end his life, seeing nothing left but a handicapped life in a world in which he is unable to function.
Incredibly interesting, and very disturbing. As far as acting goes, you don’t really get better than this.
Five stars!
HOLLYWOODLAND 