Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #317 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-09-01
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Limited Edition, PAL, Special Edition
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 136 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review

When The Shawshank Redemption was released in 1994, some critics complained that this popular prison drama was too long to sustain its plot. Those complaints miss the point, because the passage of time is crucial to this story about patience, the squeaky wheels of justice and the growth of a life-long friendship. Only when the film reaches its final, emotionally satisfying scene do you fully understand why writer-director Frank Darabont (adapting a novella by Stephen King) allows the story to unfold at its necessary pace.

Tim Robbins plays a banker named Andy who is sent to Shawshank Prison on a murder charge, but as he gets to know a life-term prisoner named Red (Morgan Freeman), we soon realise his claims of innocence are credible. We also realise that Andy's calm, quiet exterior hides a great reserve of patience and fortitude, and Red comes to admire this mild-mannered man who first struck him as weak and unfit for prison life. So it is that The Shawshank Redemption builds considerable impact as a prison drama that defies the conventions of the genre (violence, brutality, riots) to illustrate its theme of faith, friendship and survival. Nominated for seven Academy Awards including Best Picture, Actor and Screenplay, it's a remarkable film (which movie lovers count among their all-time favourites) that signalled the arrival of a promising new filmmaker.

On the DVD: The Shawshank Redemption limited-edition release contains the complete 48-minute documentary "Shawshank: The Redeeming Feature", including interviews with all the principal cast and crew; plus more interview material and the theatrical trailer. --Jeff Shannon

Special Features

• Theatrical trailer
  
• Interviews with star cast
  
• Shawshank: The Redeeming Feature - includes interviews with Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman plus interviews with key crew members including Frank Darabont, the Producer, Production Designer and film critics

DVD Technical Information:

• Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  
• Audio: English, Stereo
  
• Subtitles: English for the Hard of Hearing
  
• Region Code: 2
  
• Colour
  
• Running time: 136 mins approx.

Synopsis

In writer-director Frank Darabont's The Shawshank Redemption, Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) is sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison for the alleged murders of his wife and her lover in the late 1940s. Sent to Shawshank Prison to do hard time, Andy is the only one who knows he didn't commit the crimes. A taciturn banker in the outside world, he is forced to learn how to get by in the brutal, cut-throat confines of a maximum security prison. His quiet strength slowly earns the respect of his fellow inmates--most notably, Red (Morgan Freeman)--and even much of the prison staff, but Andy's seemingly stoic acceptance of his unjust imprisonment hides a fierce determination for freedom. This beautifully crafted movie features touching and sincere performances from the entire cast, with an uplifting message about humanity's indomitable spirit and the redemptive value of hope. Based on the novella "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption" by Stephen King, Darabont's intriguing adaptation is easily one of the finest films of the 1990s.

Customer Reviews

Get busy watching...
The Shawshank Redemption is a warming tale of the human spirit, friendship and justice. Like so many great films this has been adapted from a Stephen king novel.

The official category is of a prison drama but in my opinion this sells the film short. The prison only provides the backdrop for the heart warming story of humanity that unfolds. The story could be set anywhere. The escape from prison could be a metaphor for any situation which requires courage and strength to escape from, and the friendship and positivity between the two lead characters could build under other circumstances.

Like so many other reviewers I find this film hard to criticise. The narration by Morgan Freeman nudges the story along beautifully, the casting is perfect and the film is paced perfectly and devoid of the usual Hollywood clichés. This film shows just what can be achieved with great acting and a fine script instead of over the top CGI stunts and predictable plot lines. A typical example of this is the final scene in the film. The camera pulls way without cheesy dialogue or over acting, the images say it all.

I have yet to meet anybody who genuinely dislikes it and with good reason, it's a classic.

One of THE Masterpieces!
Whoever said that this film was too long for its plot must have been so inpatient as to find running slow. It is long, in that they were right, but it is gripping, dramatic and brilliantly acted, every minute of it. The brutality of '30s American prison life is convincing, shocking, powerful and the sinister nature of the officers and their sadism encapsulates and emulsifies the utter despair of the inmates, particularly the innocent Andy Du Fraine, making the prevelance of hope and goodness all the more uplifting, wondourous and majestic. This is one of those films that you must see before you die.

"Get busy living, or get busy dying!"
There have already been so many reviews of this film on this site alone that, even if you haven't yet seen the film for yourself (in which case, where have you been for the last 10/15 years? Mars?!), you should, by now, have an idea of what happens in it! So straight to my analysis and opinion of the film.

"The Shawshank Redemption" can be seen as an allegory about life and the human condition. Many people feel trapped in their daily lives, often because life has dealt them an unlucky card at some point. So they struggle on in occupations and relationships that give them very little mental stimulation or personal satisfaction, working for managers or living with partners who appear to care little, if anything, for them, their morale or their aspirations.

Red (Morgan Freeman) warns Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) that hope, especially for the inmates at Shawshank prison, can be a dangerous thing. However, for Andy, hope is the only thing that keeps him alive. Hope that he WILL get out of Shawshank, alive, so that he can fulfill his dream of moving to the Mexican coast, buying a boat and doing it up, and getting revenge on the prison warden and senior guard. In this respect, Andy Dufresne acts as an inspiration and unlikely hero, encouraging the rest of us to take responsibility for our own lives.