Andy Dufresne is a young and successful banker whose life changes drastically when he is convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his wife and her lover. Set in the 1940's, the film shows how Andy, with the help of his friend Red, the prison entrepreneur, turns out to be a most unconventional prisoner.[TRAILER]

STEVEN SNYDER'S REVIEW

It is a seminal collaboration of storytellers, actors and filmmakers intent on keeping the film's real motivations and real pleasures hidden until the last possible moment. And behind it all, as audiences are kept off balance, exist characters and emotions so richly textured and developed that "The Shawshank Redemption" becomes a mosaic of breathtaking sincerity. No wonder that fans of the film can point to so many different parts of this masterpiece as their favorite, and all be correct.

The first surprise is its premise: This film is not about prison life. Oh, Shawshank is indeed the name of the prison and most of the film's running time is spent within prison walls. But this is not solely about a warden, guards, prisoners, and the rough prison experience. These are only side notes in a much different symphony about friendship, loyalty, and, eventually, the redemption alluded to in the title.

"The Shawshank Redemption's" friendship is between two very different people. Red (Morgan Freeman), the experienced lifer, is the film's narrator. He makes his way through prison by procuring items from the outside and selling them to the inmates. Andy (Tim Robbins) is the "fresh fish," as the inmates say, a new resident who is sized up from the moment he steps off the police truck.

This is where the second surprise originates. We think the story is about Red, his take on prison life, his friendship with Andy, when in fact the reverse is true. This is Andy's story. Red is only our eyes and our interpreter. He provides commentary and analysis but, similar to us, knows not until the end what is ticking under Andy's cool exterior. Director Frank Darabont deserves a great deal of credit for remaining true to this approach. Even after the eventual redemption, we are still stranded alongside Red, wondering what has happened to Andy and when we might see him again.

Seeing this world from Red's eyes, the audience is, rather daringly, put into unsure situations. Most movies use narration to help fill in the gaps. "The Shawshank Redemption" allows Red's thoughts to widen them. In one moment, Red is convinced that Andy is plotting his own suicide. Red worries and frets and thinks of other possibilities. We too follow his line of thinking, being led astray by our faithful narrator. Andy's true fate is more thrilling as a result.

Of course, with Andy's fate, I am talking about the biggest surprise of the movie. Among the best endings of any film, the climax of "The Shawshank Redemption" actually builds through four separate segments. The first buildup occurs as Red frets about Andy. Red then recounts what really happened in the second climax. Then, Andy enacts revenge on those in the prison, providing a third, unexpected resolution. Red's journey to the beach is the final bookend to a story so intense and complete in its conclusion that its final thirty minutes alone could be a movie on its own.

Appropriately, a film as unique as "The Shawshank Redemption" continues to surprise us long after the conventional climax has come and passed. As with all great movies, the final resolution is not found within its plot, but with its characters.

None of this would matter without the formidable team mentioned earlier. Based on a short story by Steven King, this film uses the prison as more metaphor than realism. The guards could be any force opposing the prisoners. The prison itself is a tomb in which lives are wasted away. Andy's destiny is strangely metaphoric. Standing in the rain, arms outstretched, he becomes less a person and more the culmination of his earlier talks with Red-the personification of hope that breaks free of the darkness.

Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman give performances that defined their careers. Robbins keeps Andy hidden from the audience, somewhat aloof in his strange joy amidst Shawshank's despair. Freeman imparts Red with such heart and such subtle intelligence that I find it difficult to admit that Red is not a real person. Freeman's perfect moment comes after Andy's disappearance. Red is in the field, working, and he notes the bittersweet joy he feels for Andy, sad that he is gone, but realizing it was wrong to ever lock him up in the first place. "I just miss my friend," he concludes, and the straightforward honesty is overwhelming.

Roger Deakins' cinematography is often overlooked. In this film, he finds startling success in simplicity. The interior prison shots are dark and dreadful, but when important moments occur, my how the beauty comes out. Andy's scream to the heavens is achingly perfect. Overhead shots of the prison are gorgeous. When Red goes to find the mysterious black box, another wonderful plot device, could the rural setting look any more like heaven?

Even Thomas Newman's score is a triumph. Without guiding the audience to a predetermined conclusion, it accompanies moments with such elegance and such splendor that "The Shawshank Redemption" seems to exist free from the confines of the theater. Wisely, he allows the surprise to come first and his gorgeous work to accentuate the audience's gasp.

These surprising techniques succeed thanks to the filmmaker's affection for the characters. Nothing is done at the expense of Red and Andy, their friendship, or their plight. They are at the forefront at all times. When Andy is thrown into solitary confinement, we witness both Andy's endurance of his torture and Red's worry for his friend. As Red and Andy discuss the past, the future, and the concept of hope, important plot points are occurring, but they blend seamlessly into a scene more about the characters in the present than the surprises to come.

The memorable surprises in the film are only the icing on a carefully crafted cake. When Darabont spins the story upside down, it is only after we have invested our hearts and minds into these characters. Only later do we realize the plot has underlined the emotions all the while. We squeal with delight as they win. We feel compelled to rewind and watch it all again.

But second visits, to our surprise, offer insights into more than just camera tricks or surprise endings. There is a plethora of nuances that crave discovery-minute expressions and missed dialogue often not caught in the first viewing.

And we keep watching also for Andy and Red. They have become like best friends to us, caught in the middle of hell. We watch again because their redemption warms our hearts. Their continuing ability to hope rubs off on us.

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