COLLABORATION: THE SHAWSHANK FAMILY

I remember seeing this movie when I was not much over 12 years of age. While I didn't remember all of the film's production there were two things I distinctly remembered; the obvious-- "a young man digs his way out of prison", and for some reason I always remembered the story of Brooks, the ex- inmate who hangs himself when released on parole. I always marveled at the latter, as even as a child I wondered what had caused Brooks to take his own life just when he finally got his freedom from the Shawshank jail. 

Adapted from the Stephen King novella Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, Frank Darabont's 1994 prison thriller The Shawshank Redemption tells the tale of a group of men who over a period of time was able to form a bond behind the bars of the Shawshank prison. Nominated for seven Academy Awards in 1994 which included Best Picture, The Shawshank Redemption takes us beyond the guards, behind the walls and into the lives of the Shawshank prisoners.
The movie begins with Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) being wrongfully served with two life sentences for the murder of his wife and her lover. The scene then shifts focus to another one of Shawshank's life- sentenced Ellis Boyd 'Red' Redding played by Morgan Freeman being denied parole; a process which we soon learn is the norm at Shawshank. Both Andy and Red develop a strong bond and become the central figures for all incidences behind the Shawshank gates. Andy and Red's friendship further helps to solidify the Shawshank's inmates' creation of a family unit.  

Red's role as the go-to- guy or "the guy who can get it for you" even "Rita Hayworth"; positions him as somewhat of a patriarchal figure in the Shawshank family. When Brooks (James Whitmore) attempts to repeal his parole by accosting one of his fellow inmate, Floyd (Brian Libby) rushes over to Red and Andy to help quell the agitated Brooks.

Andy's unassuming nature is felt as he navigates his life sentence at Shawshank with an unsuspected and quite an impenetrable ease. He becomes a glimmer of hope for the Shawshank family. This idea is fully expounded upon in the blog post "Movies can give a hint to a life worth living" by Symbiotic Chirality, where the blogger explains that the hope as symbolize by Andy not only gives meaning to the lives of his Shawshank brothers but this hope also adds purpose and meaning to his own life.

 It took Andy a while to warm up to the Shawshank crew and they to him. He comes as a surprise to his fellow inmates, especially Red who "didn't think much of Andy first time [he] I laid eyes on him." In the end Andy earns his place at Shawshank's proverbial table, using his skills and tenacity to bring about an unprecedented change to the prison. He moved as one not impeded by the iron bars which separated him from the rest of the world but as a free man; at times the viewer even forgets that he is a part of an incarcerated team and rather sees him and the rest of Shawshank as residence of a secret community or the members of a family.

It seems that he never left his life behind but rather just shifted from one location to another. A former banker, Andy even returns to his vocation by providing financial services for the Shawshank prison guards as well as guards from neighbouring prisons.Andy's presence at Shawshank further helps to create another world and open up his fellow inmates to new possibilities.

Behind Mr Dufresne's goodwill and seemingly unending patience which bore him through years of attacks, betrayal and eventually being a part of an unscrupulous money laundering scheme led by prison warden Norton (Bob Gunton); was his confidence in his freedom. Although he is seen as one of the Shawshank family, he does not let his time there cause him to become "institutionalized" like Brooks who commits suicide when he is freed of the prison but is unable to operate out in the real world.

 

In explaining Brooks' seemingly irrational reaction to his parole he says " These walls are funny. First you hate 'em, then you get used to 'em. After long enough, you get so you depend on 'em. That's institutionalized." Taking him roughly 20 years Andy eventually gains his freedom. With a rock- hammer and a Rita Hayworth picture, he manages to escape the Shawshank prison as well as absolve his prison family of warden Norton's oppressive hand by exposing his (warden Norton) money laundering scheme. 

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