Review of Shawshank Redemption, The (reissue)

Introduction

"You strike me as a particularly icy and remorseless man, Mr Dufresne. It chills my blood just to look at you. By the power vested in me by the State of Maine, I hereby order you to serve two life sentences, back to back, one for each of your victims. So be it."

And with that, banker Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) was sent to Shawshank Prison to spend the rest of his life in isolation from the outside world. Within the confines of Shawshank, Andy forms an unlikely friendship with the prison `fixer`, Red (Morgan Freeman). He also becomes popular with the Warden and the prison`s guards, as Andy is able to use his banking experience to help the corrupt officials amas personal fortunes. He soon discovers that when they send you to Shawshank State Prison for life, that is exactly what they take.

The premise, what could be an interesting study of human behaviour within one of life`s worst environments, is intriguing, and considering that this was nominated for six Academy Awards in 1994 and is based on the work of Stephen King, all the pointers suggest that debut film-maker Frank Darabont could have pulled a winner out of the hat. Here`s hoping...

Video

Side A - Standard 1.33:1 / Side B - 1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen. Much has been said about the quality of the visuals - with pros and cons for both ratios - but I`ll start with the ratio in which all films should be watched: good old widescreen. The print is fairly crisp and clear throughout, although the odd compression sign and loss of clarity (mainly colour definition) is apparent now and again. The transfer also has a bit of dust, but is still very watchable. The 4:3 version is OK for those who detest the black bars at the top and bottom of the screen, and is one of the better fullscreen transfers, although again, clarity is lost during certain points. Stick with the former.

Shawshank is a very diverse location - the sprawling cell block, the dusty yard, and the offices and other rooms that populate the interior. Director Darabont blends everything together in a way that leads to emotions such as claustrophobia, tension, suspense and tranquility.

Audio

Dolby Digital 2.0 (English). The lack of surround activity is the first thing that stroke me when watching the film - this was made in 1994, so why the hell is there no 5.1 remix? Granted, this is a dialogue-driven film, but other films of a similar nature are given a proper soundtrack, and even films that were released years before were given better treatment. However, beggars can`t be chosers, and for all we get, the audio is of a good quality, with impressive ambiance levels and clarity throughout.

I have never read the Stephen King novella on which this is based, but I do know that it isn`t a very extensive story: meaning Darabont has not only taken the source but added things that flesh out the story and characters. The script is accomplished - engaging, rounded and intriguing, posing questions such as what is the meaning of `rehabilitation` and punishing a man for a crime that once committed, could have reshaped his character and changed that person - in a good way - forever.

Thomas Newman`s music is wonderful, it adds so much to the scenes in which the score is used...during uplifting scenes, depressing scenes, tragic scenes et cetera.

Features

Sub Plots - Great I thought as I accessed these: some deleted scenes to further expand the narrative. But, soon I found that this `extra` was merely a collection of five scenes, taken directly from the film, for quick access. Groundbreaking.

Interviews - A short collection of interviews with the main players: actors, director and producer. They are good, but why are they so sparse? If these could have been stuck into a solid making-of featurette they would have been good, but on their own, they are good yet nearly pointless.

Biographies - They do what they see on the tin, with static CV`s of five of the actors. Fairly interesting.

Theatrical Trailer - Quite a good precy to the film.

Note: All the extras are available on Side A, yet on Side B only the Sub Plots are present. Therefore, remember to load up the fullscreen version if you want to see all of the extras.

The menus are animated well, with Newman`s score in the background combined with clips from the film (that nearly give away some of the plot). They are easy to navigate, although the yellow blobs next to the text somewhat spoil their class!

Conclusion

Voted one of the best films of all time, and I can see why. This is a captivating and enchanting tale that shows humanity in many different guises. Brutal guards who think they are God, inmates struggling to learn how to live like animals, and then the undercurrent of hope that flows through The Shawshank Redemption.

Tim Robbins captures the frustration and at times, fear, of a man who is imprisoned when he claims he is innocent. Likewise, grizzled inmate Red, played by Morgan Freeman, adds to not only the realism, but engages the viewer. The rest of the cast are played to near-perfection, and each one has distinct, and not so distinct, character objectives.

Under the direction and writing skills of Frank Darabont, everything comes together to form a stylish, subtle and striking pieces of modern cinema. It may have lost in every Academy Award category that it was nominated for (1994 was a big year - this, Pulp Fiction and Forrest Gump were the main contenders, and although the latter did the best, in my opinion this and Tarantino`s masterpiece deserved a bigger share than they got), but that is just the opinion of a bunch of voters in Hollywood, and the reaction from real audiences, such as you and me, is what counts.

Instantly rewatchable and at times quotable, this is as close to celluloid perfection as one could get. With complex characters, gripping narative and precise execution, this deserves to be watched and loved by every self-respecting film lover.

The disc itself however is not so perfect. The visuals need some improvement (although not as much as some others may say) and the audio cries out for a 5.1 soundtrack. The extras are below average - and this is where the main criticism lies with the DVD. The interviews are the only worthwhile extra, and they clock in at a barely recognisable time. Whatever happened to a solid making-of and an audio commentary?

Considering this is classed as a `reissue`, effort should have been made to improve the technical side of the package. However, save for a new cover and a slightly better looking RRP, nothing has changed. Let`s just hope the powers-that-be regain any sense they have, and give us consumers a DVD worth grabbing of the shelves.

As an overall package, it is worth getting for the content alone, as this is a yarn that can be watched over and over again. The widescreen transfer and slight smattering of extras is the only real deciding factor between this and recording off the TV, unless of course the future holds a quality DVD for this truly remarkable film. Here`s hoping...