The Shawshank Redemption

Two imprisoned men bond over a number of years, finding solace and eventual redemption through acts of common decency.

• Director:Frank Darabont
• Genre:Drama
• Runtime:143 minutes

Cast

Tim Robbins : Andy Dufresne
Morgan Freeman : Ellis Boyd ‘Red’ Redding
Bob Gunton : Warden Norton
William Sadler : Heywood
Clancy Brown : Captain Hadley

In 1947, a banker named Andrew “Andy” Dufresne (Tim Robbins) is convicted of murdering his wife and her lover, based on strong circumstantial evidence. He is sentenced to two consecutive life sentences at Shawshank State Penitentiary in Maine, run by Warden Samuel Norton (Bob Gunton). He is quickly befriended by Ellis Boyd “Red” Redding (Morgan Freeman), a fellow inmate serving a life sentence who has recently failed to gain parole. Andy finds Red has connections on the outside who can acquire contraband for the inmates, and first asks Red for a rock hammer in order to maintain his rock collection hobby, which he uses to fashion a home-made chess set. He later asks Red for a full-size poster of Rita Hayworth for his wall, replacing them over the years with ones of Marilyn Monroe and Raquel Welch.

During manual labor, Andy overhears Captain of the Guards Byron Hadley (Clancy Brown) complain about having to pay taxes on a forthcoming inheritance. Andy risks punishment by explaining to Hadley how to circumvent the taxes legally; Hadley accepts Andy’s advice and rewards his friends with a brief respite and beer. Andy’s financial advice is soon sought by other guards at Shawshank and nearby prisons, and Andy is given a space to work on their financial matters under the pretense of maintaining the prison library alongside elderly inmate Brooks Hatlen (James Whitmore). Hadley delivers a brutal beating to inmate Bogs (Mark Rolston), leader of “The Sisters”, after his gang’s attempt to sexually assault Andy puts Andy in the infirmary; Bogs is paralyzed while the remaining Sisters leave Andy alone. Andy is able to use his good will with the guards to help expand the library; when one donation to the library provides him with the opera The Marriage of Figaro, he plays it over the public address system for all the inmates to hear, well-aware of the punishment of solitary confinement he will receive for the brief moment of bliss.

Warden Norton creates a scheme to use prison labor for public works, undercutting the cost of skilled labor and discreetly receiving personal kickbacks for it. Norton has Andy launder the money under a false identity, in exchange for allowing Andy to keep his private cell and to continue maintaining the library. Brooks, freed on parole, is unable to adjust to the outside world, and hangs himself; Andy dedicates the expanded library to him. In 1965, Tommy Williams (Gil Bellows) is incarcerated into Shawshank on robbery charges. Tommy is brought into Andy and Red’s circle of friends, and Andy assists Tommy into getting his GED. Tommy, upon learning of Andy’s crime, reveals that one of his old prison-mates, Elmo Blatch (Bill Bolender) had claimed to have committed a murder just like the one with which Andy was charged. Norton, fearing that Andy might expose his illegal activities if he were released, puts him into solitary confinement and has Tommy killed by Hadley, claiming he was an escapee. When Andy is finally released from solitary, Norton threatens to destroy the library if Andy does not continue to launder the money for him. Read more

Watch full The Shawshank Redemption online streaming for free