This paper analyses the film Shawshank Redemption. The film tells the story of an innocent man sent to prison for a crime he did not commit (Kermode, 2003). The man, Andy Dufrense is convicted for two murders and sent to Shawshank State prison. In order to survive in the prison, he becomes friends with Ellis Boyd, the prison smuggler famed for his ability to smuggle anything. Having been a banker in his previous lifetime, Andy utilizes his expertise to earn privileged status in the prison.
The warden takes special interest in Andy’s skills and utilizes them to run a money laundering scheme in the prison. Though the privileged status offered Andy a comfortable life in the circumstances, he still maintains hope that he will be freed one day. He confides this hope to Ellis who has become a close friend but Ellis does not understand. After an inmate who could assist in proving his innocence is murdered, Andy loses hope of ever being freed and decides to escape. He later escapes through a tunnel he had dug in his cell with a rock hammer Ellis had provided.
Shawshank is a minimum security state prison with close to 500 inmates. It is run by a warden assisted by several guards. There also departments such a laundry and library which are tendered to by inmates. Unofficially there a several gangs that also run the prison. They offer protection to other inmates for a fee. These gangs however also commit atrocities especially to non members. The prison staff knows of these activities but is reluctant to intervene unless severe crimes are committed.
Whenever such crimes are committed, there are routine searches. These searches are very inhumane and often violent. Those found to infringe the prison rules are committed to solitary confinement for some days. The warden uses the inmates to run illegal activities. Those that cooperate are offered protection and preferential treatment. The uncooperative are either committed to solitary confinement or left to the wrath of the gangs.
The most relevant constitutional amendment in the film is the fourth amendment. The amendment prohibits unreasonable searches and lays down the requirements for the same. The searches conducted by the prison staff in the film where in gross violation of this amendment. Similarly, there was a violation of the first amendment with regard to freedom of speech. Anyone speaking anything that the warden does not like is punished for it.
The incarceration made Andy much a worse person than he was when being convicted. During the period of incarceration he either committed or was an accessory to crimes. Though Ellis was deservedly in prison, incarceration did not make him a better person either. He still carried on with his illegal activities. To both characters, incarceration to some extent took away hope from them.
Kermode, M. (2003). The Shawshank Redemption. London: British Film Institute.
