IndexTechniquesAnalysisConclusionWorks CitedThis is the story of Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), vice president of a bank, convicted of the murder of his wife. Andy claims he was wrongly accused, but all the evidence points towards Andy and no one else. As a result, he is sent to Shawshank Prison, to serve a double life sentence. Enter Red (Morgan Freeman), an inmate serving time at Shawshank Prison. He is the ever-popular prisoner, skilled at smuggling items into the prison at the request of fellow prisoners. She finds Andy to be quite a different person. Initially, Andy is reserved and introverted. Later, he approaches Red for a deal. Red has the requested item smuggled in. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay later. Slowly, Red and Andy both form a good friendship. They go through the years dealing with oppression, pain, desperation, experiencing some great moments of solidarity and, in Red's case, some futile rehab checks where he was always rejected. Andy is assigned a job at the prison library. He slowly gains reputation among the guards by helping them with all sorts of bank-related things: taxes, loans, children's education, etc. The director also starts having regular accounts done by Andy. And so the years pass. Over the years, no one entertains the idea that Andy is innocent, because apparently, in a prison, “everyone is innocent.” But years later, the arrival of new inmate Tommy (Gil Bellows) changes the world forever. The resulting revelation leads to a mad drive within Andy to seek “salvation.” What happens next is one of the greatest sequences in cinematic history. It is the human tendency to redeem ourselves that brings us to all of life's great moments. That's what The Shawshank Redemption is about. Techniques Many cinematic techniques were used in the film as a clever way to convey the main themes. The use of camera angles was a clear way to establish a character's personality. The warden, Norton, is often seen from low angles, which highlights his high status in the prison and his authority. While Andy is in Shawshank we don't see much color variation, mostly just shades of grey. These dull, lifeless colors highlight the prisoners' lack of power and, for most prisoners, their lack of hope. This contrasts with the colors shown during Andy and Red's reunion. The audience no longer sees gray and depressing colors, but instead sees the brilliant sand and vibrant colors of the Pacific Ocean. This shows the audience how Andy is no longer controlled by the conformity of prison life, has regained his power, and is now finally free. Likewise in another scene, when Brook frees his bird, Jake, from prison, we see how lighting has been used to show the theme, that hope is the key to redemption. In this scene the prison library is very dark and we could only see the light from the window where Jake was present. When Jake is released by Brook we see him go straight towards the light, this means he flies towards freedom and has hope as he is not held back by institutionalism. Jake flying out a window to freedom offers a more optimistic view of the human spirit than Andy. Foreshadows Andy's escape from the Shawshank redemption. As mentioned by Red in the voiceover, I have to remind myself that some birds are not meant to be caged: their feathers are just toobright. However we see Brook walking into the darkness and out of frame. This leaves us with a shot of darkness that emphasizes the theme of how Brook worked hard to die and lost redemption, hope, and freedom. This loss of identity is also shown by the fact that he walks in the darkness with his head down. He talks about losing hope and how he feels defeated by the institution. Analysis In the film The Shawshank Redemption the director used various techniques such as music, sound, colors, lighting and camera angles to present the main theme and purpose of the film. Lighting and cinematography play a very important role in the film. The film uses long shots, close-ups and slow zooms into the characters to make the story more intimate and impact the viewers. When filming the prison guards, the camera angles are low, making the guards appear more powerful and admired. When filming prisoners, the camera angles often look down on them, which shows their lack of power. Close-ups are often used for Red and Andy as they are the main characters and focus of the story. The film is narrated by Morgan Freeman who tells Andy's story of how he was convicted, his life in prison and his escape. Freeman has the perfect voice to tell a story that makes you listen more. The costumes are the grey/blue prison uniform. These colors are dark and negative and say that life in prison is unbearable and terrible. The film shows a side of prison that we don't usually see. As the film progresses, we the audience come to believe that the characters are not that bad even though they are in prison. Paradoxically, most of them are innocent. We as the public then begin to empathize with the inmates and want them to escape and be free. Over the course of the film Andy is attacked many times. This makes us feel sorry for him, even though he is in prison for murder. The film is great because of the strong plot that develops. The film portrays a man who loses everything and ends up in prison. But as the film progresses, he manages to find some moments of happiness with others in the same situation. The film never uses special effects but still manages to keep our interest alive through character development and an excellent screenplay. One of the film's major weaknesses is the character development. Andy makes many friends while in prison, but we never find out how his friends ended up in prison. Also it would have been nice to have a scene at the end showing what Red and Andy are doing a couple of years later. I feel strongly that the music should have been more driven. This film truly deserved an iconic soundtrack. Besides the brilliant acting from Mr. Freeman and Mr. Robbins, along with the great direction from Frank Darabont, the cinematography is quite flawless and the film has a cohesive flow. It also has a compelling plot and setting that fits the overall themes quite well. The Shawshank Redemption is a very human story with many powerful and emotional scenes. The film highlights the triumphs, tragedies, and deeper meaning we seek in our lives. I would definitely recommend this movie to everyone because it is full of life lessons that are definitely better understood and felt after watching it. The film portrays the bond shared between two men during the years of their captivity as they share emotions and find comfort in each other, ultimately paving the way to salvation. The film also shows how to maintain one's meaning in the most disintegrated and hopeless place. Conclusion Shawshank Redemption is the extraordinary journey of a man who endures so much pain for so many years and finally amazes everyone with his plan. The narration of.