Examine the Themes of Freedom and Justice in the “Shawshank Redemption” - page 1
Keywords: Freedom, Justice, Shawshank Redemption, Prison
By Richard on 30/09/2008
Level: GCSE Key Stage 4 (Years 10-11)
Page Number: 1 of 6 pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6
At the beginning of the film we think that there is justice happening. We see Andy Dufresne loading a gun then someone kills a women and man. We obviously assume this is Andy. This idea is brought on by the sinister music and the darkness that covers his face. We then see him being sentenced to five life imprisonments, which we think is fair as he is the killer this is a moment of fake justice.
It is after this that we are introduced to Shawshank Prison, a formidable place. It is huge and cold. The filming and the lighting set the atmosphere. There is a blue tint everywhere, which adds to the coldness and clinical order of Shawshank. It also gives an atmosphere of underlying evil; all the guards look just as shifty and untrustworthy as the inmates themselves. The building itself looks evil and ominous as it has sharp gothic spires. Every time we see it though it is filmed from the ground upwards so it looks bigger and more awe inspiring it also ads to the spires and they look more evil than if it had been filmed from above the roof. All scenes are the prison reminds us of some formidable being, in some scenes it look as though it is the most terrible place. All shots of it are only of the building or of the warden flanked by its two front towers.
When the new inmates arrive, we meet the old inmates and Captain Hadley, one of the most unjust and corrupt characters apart from the warden. The fences that the prisoners stand behind look almost like a fence in prison camp. The whole scene is cold and unwelcoming, when the new inmates are dropped there is betting as to who will break first. Then the prisoners are washed and paraded to the warden. Here we see the most unjust man in the film. When a prisoner makes a comment Captain Haley hits him in the stomach to silence him. This shows the absolute power they have over the men and the absolute restrictions of the prison. The second time the guards come into the film is on the first night. It here we realise the inmates were betting on who would cry out for help or start crying, they all start chanting “Fish, Fish, Fishy” and “Lets here you, Fresh Fish.” This would mean newby, or
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