Title: Shawshank Redemption
Writer: Frank Darabont
Director: Frank Darabont
Year: 1994
Actors: Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman
Story: In 1947 In 1947 Andy Dufresne is convicted of double murder for killing his wife and her lover and sent to serve two life sentences at Shawshank State Penitentiary in Maine. It is there Andy finds a man that will come to be his good friend named Red. Andy casually exerts his innocence until one day a new young inmate, Tommy Williams, comes forth with an account of a man named Elmer Blash who confessed the crime to Tommy while serving time with him in the past. Andy, who was a prominent banker, is also handling the dirty, money laundering books for the warden who is very sinister and responsible for many “obtuse” actions against the inmates, including the death of Tommy Williams when he comes forth to proclaim Andy’s innocence. It is then Andy creates a plan to escape that involves tunneling his way out using only a rock hammer through his cell wall. He succeeds and once Red is released, he joins him on a far away island, an innocent fugitive forevermore.
Plot: An innocent man is imprisoned for double murder where he spends 22 years behind the bars of Shawshank State Penitentariry before escaping after tunneling a hole through his cell wall. His closest friend Red, who he resided with at Shawshank, is paroled after Andy makes his escape. Red goes directly to the spot Andy had told him to before his escape and they are reunited once again.
Chronology: This story is written in chronological order with only a couple of brief flashbacks that are actually being re-accounted in the present day by one of the characters. This choice had a major impact on the audience by walking them through the events chronologically over a 22 year span not only helped to create a bond with the main characters but also built up anticipation and emotion when Andy finally escaped the terror he had sustained at Shawshank.
The chronological order also helps the audience to relate and sympathize with Andy and Red, even though most have never been in any type of close situation. Red, a self-proclaimed guilty murderer, develops into a character that is respected and even lovable, which is usually not the case for such a character. Had the film been told non-linearly it would not have allowed for such endearment the audience grows to have for the main characters as non-linear films events are randomly arranged events,rather than chronologically arranged (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014).
FanArt,(2015). Shawshank Redemption. Retrieved from https:///fanart.tv/movie/278/the-shawshank-redemption/
Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2014). Film: From watching to seeing (2nd ed.). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. This text is a Constellation™ course digital materials (CDM) title.
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