JS22
Say Vandelay!
- Joined
- Oct 21, 2002
- Posts
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Chaplin said:Figured I'd start with a movie everybody loves. I'll be flabbergasted if anyone posts saying they didn't like the movie--this one seems to be one of the most loved movies of all time.
As far as I can tell, this is close to a perfect movie. With the exception of an overly long running time and some inconsistent camera work, this movie is a work of art.
Unfortunately, the Academy liked the feel-good aspect of Forrest Gump that year, and gems like this movie and Quiz Show were woefully overlooked.
Synopsis (SPOILER possible):
In the first half of the 20th century, tax accountant Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) is sentenced to 2 consecutive life sentences, while maintaining his innocence throughout. While in Shawshank prison in rural Maine, he befriends Red (Morgan Freeman), an "institutional" convicted murderer, and his small group of friends. The film proceeds to chronicle the next 20 years of prison life, which is neither pretty nor joyful, although Dufresne does some great things to keep his sanity.
There are several standouts which make this film so good:
1) The acting. Robbins and Freeman are at the top of their game. But a lot of the supporting performances are terrific as well, including Clancy Brown as the foul-mouthed, brutal head prison guard, and Bob Gunton as the warden. Gunton, especially, does some good work, skirting the line between housing criminals and being a criminal himself. Veteran actor James Whitmore provides a gut-wrenching performance as an 80-something-year-old man who suddenly finds himself out in the world after 50 years. Taken as a whole, this is an acting troop rivaling any in Hollywood.
2) The music. Thomas Newman does a superb job of conveying the oppressive atmosphere of the prison and uses strings and bass to convey the different moods--mostly somber, but occasionally uplifting, like when the group of inmates tar the roof of the plate shop, and are given some beer to enjoy after Dufresne bribes Clancy Brown's Officer Hadley.
3) The direction. Frank Darabont directed this film, his first in the chair. And he does a masterful job. He understands the material, since he is also the writer, but he has a certain repoir with the actors, that is noticeable throughout.
4) The source. The story actually came from a short novella by Stephen King, and in it, Red was actually an Irish white man--which makes Freeman's introduction to Robbins all that much more funny.
Of course, there is a lot more I could go into, but I'll let the rest of you go on about it!
Chap, as we obviously disagree on the Suns forum, I have to agree with you here. This movie is fantastic, and is #1 on my list of the best movies of all time.
For Christmas, my GF gave me an authentic movie poster, framed, signed by all of the major actors in the movie. I should have proposed right there!
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