The Shawshank Redemption (Blu-ray)

Review: The Shawshank RedemptionPlot and Storyline:“The Shawshank Redemption” is an exceptional film that tells the powerful story of Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), a banker wrongly convicted of murder, and his journey through the harsh realities of prison life at Shawshank. The narrative is a masterful blend of hope, friendship, and resilience as Andy forms a profound bond with fellow inmate Red (Morgan Freeman). The plot is intricately crafted, with a perfect balance of tension, drama, and moments of quiet introspection.Acting and Characters:Tim Robbins delivers a subtle yet deeply moving performance as Andy Dufresne, capturing his quiet strength and unyielding spirit. Morgan Freeman’s portrayal of Red is equally compelling, with his soothing voice and profound wisdom bringing depth to his character. The chemistry between Robbins and Freeman is palpable, making their friendship one of the most memorable aspects of the film. The supporting cast, including Bob Gunton as the corrupt warden and Clancy Brown as the brutal prison guard, also deliver strong performances that add to the film’s rich tapestry.Direction and Cinematography:Frank Darabont’s direction is nothing short of brilliant. He skillfully adapts Stephen King’s novella into a cinematic masterpiece, maintaining the essence of the original story while adding his unique touch. The cinematography by Roger Deakins is stunning, capturing both the grim atmosphere of Shawshank prison and the fleeting moments of beauty and hope. The visual storytelling is powerful, with each shot meticulously composed to enhance the narrative.Themes and Impact:At its core, “The Shawshank Redemption” is a story about hope, friendship, and the human spirit’s capacity to endure and overcome. It explores themes of redemption, justice, and the transformative power of hope. The film’s message resonates deeply, leaving a lasting impact on viewers. It’s a testament to the power of perseverance and the belief that even in the darkest of times, hope can shine through.Overall Experience:“The Shawshank Redemption” is a cinematic triumph that transcends the boundaries of its genre. It’s a film that engages the heart and mind, offering a profound and moving experience. The storytelling, acting, and direction are all top-notch, making it a timeless classic that continues to captivate audiences. Whether you’re watching it for the first time or the tenth, “The Shawshank Redemption” is a film that never loses its power to inspire and move.Rating:5 out of 5 stars. A must-watch for anyone who appreciates powerful storytelling and exceptional filmmaking.

This 4K Blu-ray of this incredible movie looks phenomenal! Once you've seen it you'll never settle for the regular Blu-ray again!"The Shawshank Redemption" stands as perhaps the very best adaptation of a written work ever translated into a motion picture--and an amazingly good movie as well.Many years ago, having just finished reading King's "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption", I turned on my TV and saw a commercial for the movie version opening the very next day, so I made plans to go and see it.Avid readers always hope that a film adaptation of a book they love will do justice to that book, even though 99 times out of 100 we're sorely disappointed to see it utterly ruined by a screenwriter who apparently either doesn't get the book or doesn't like it and decides to change everything.Still, we keep hoping every time around for an adaptation by someone who actually loves the book and tries to do right by it--even if we really expect in our hearts for that hope to be utterly dashed.To my surprise and joy, I was treated to the truest, most accurate adaptation of a written work I had ever seen brought to the screen--and, being such a voracious reader and an avid movie fan, over the years I've seen more of them than most people can imagine!The writer and director of The Shawshank Redemption, Frank Darabont, had achieved an absolute miracle by somehow managing to get over 95% of the book onto the screen, something I'd not only never seen happen before, but had never imagined was even possible!I thought the movie was truly magnificent, one of the finest movies I'd ever seen in my life, but I wondered if anyone else in the theater was as impressed by it as I was.When the film ended and the theater audience actually stood up and gave the movie a standing ovation, many whistling and cheering (something I'd never seen happen in a movie theater before), I knew I wasn't the only one blown away by how incredibly good this movie was.Over the next couple of weeks, though, I was saddened to see how poorly it performed at the box office, and soon enough it had disappeared from theaters altogether.If you are a film lover, to see a movie so incredibly good vanish into oblivion breaks one's heart.But then, it was released on home video, and without any push from the studio, it unexpectedly and miraculously began to grow in popularity through word of mouth alone. People who watched it loved it so much that they told all their friends about what a great movie it was--and those friends rented it and told all of their friends about it too. As a result "The Shawshank Redemption", initially a compete box office disaster, continued to grow and grow in popularity over the following months to eventually become the very successful number one home video title of the year--and it continued to grow in popularity beyond that point, eventually becoming one of the most beloved films of all time.When a national survey was performed and people were asked to name their one single all time favorite film, it amazed the film community by unexpectedly coming in second place out of all of the motion pictures ever made, bested only by the number one selection "The Godfather".This is a movie that has cast it's spell over millions--with one of the most satisfying and downright best endings ever to grace the silver screen.There were only two changes made from the novel, the character of Red was changed from a red haired Irishman to Morgan Freeman. Since Red's being Irish was only just basic character background information and really had no impact on the story whatsoever, changing this so that the perfect actor for the part could play him was of no consequence to the story and strengthened the film enormously.The other change involved the disposition of one character and the change only made the impact of one of the best endings in movie history that much stronger.Everything about the movie, from the excellent cinematography to the superlative casting, the pitch perfect pacing, and even the emotionally evocative musical score by Thomas Newman created the identical feel and atmosphere of reading the book itself.This movie was clearly a labor of love by a filmmaker who worked his tail off to translate a book he adored as faithfully as possible into a movie--and he did a truly magnificent job, succeeding at it more beautifully than I could have imagined in my wildest dreams."The Shawshank Redemption" is so beloved by fans that it has also become the one movie most often shown on television.But, please see the 4K version. The 4K Blu-ray puts the HD version to utter shame.Every aspect of the 4K version, from the image sharpness and the fine detail level, to the color palette and the shadow details are all dramatically improved.This is a truly excellent looking disc of one of the most phenomenal motion pictures ever made.If you haven't seen The Shawshank Redemption, please do. I promise you that afterward, you'll be sorry that you waited so long to experience this superlative masterpiece. And if you have already seen it and already know what an incredible movie it is, the 4K version honestly makes it an even better viewing experience--almost like getting to see it for the very first time all over again!The "Shawshank Redemption" is a one of a kind film experience--and seeing it in 4K makes that experience even more memorable. This 4K Blu-ray disc comes with the highest recommendation I can possibly offer. Every movie collector who loves great films should have a copy of this excellent disc in their collection!

what a great movie honestly. i use to fall asleep on movies and this one had me wide awake the whole time. Really great actors and story i loved it

Love everything about it. Nothing wrong at all.

Great movie!

Espectacular, una de mis películas favoritas

Thx

We started watching this movie for a class project and ran out of time so we could not finish it, but it was so good that I paid to finish watching the last 20 minutes or so. One of those movies that keeps your attention and doesn't want to make you pick up your phone.

A short story turned into a two-plus hour film of such brilliance ... plus you have Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. If you have not seen this movie, buy it - you'll watch it again and again. If you have seen this movie - what are you waiting for, buy the damn things already ... you know you want it.

Edizione imperdibile per collezionisti, stampata in tiratura limitata di 5000 copie. Questa vault edition è ricca di contenuti : cartoline con i personaggi con relative citazioni, la lettera lasciata da Andy a Red, una placca in vetro numerata... Il tutto racchiuso in un cofanetto con chiusura magnetica ben curata, con un artwork semplicemente evocativo.Sicuramente di dimensioni generose, è un piacere averla in collezione.Il film del 1994 di Frank Darabont credo abbia bisogno di poche presentazioni... Un capolavoro della cinematografia , tratto da una storia di Stephen King, con un cast a dir poco eccezionale.La storia di Andy Dufresne, rinchiuso nel penitenziario di Shawshank con l'accusa di aver assassinato la moglie colta in flagrante con un professionista di golf, è un viaggio che ti cattura e ti porta insieme ai detenuti a vivere le speranze e le delusioni dei protagonisti, della speranza e della redenzione di un uomo che sa di essere stato recluso ingiustamente e che ha in mente una sola cosa... "O fai di tutto per vivere, o fai di tutto per morire"...Un capolavoro da vedere e rivedere.L'edizione uhd si presenta in maniera eccellente, un 4k nativo da pellicola che risalta in ogni micro dettaglio, con colori vividi e contrasti netti, neri profondi e una nitidezza a tratti sorprendente.Il dolby Digital 2.0 fa il suo lavoro degnamente e non fa rimpiangere troppo il 5.1 dell'edizione Cecchi Gori di qualche anno fa.Buoni e interessanti anche gli extra.Nel complesso, ottima edizione, felice di averla acquistata .

Soy fan de The Shawshank Redemption o conocida en México como Sueños de Fuga, y cuando supe que Warner Brothers la había restaurado en formato 4K Ultra HD, la compré de inmediato. Se ve espectacular, mejor que nunca, con una calidad de imagen fuera de serie. Llegó rápido y en perfectas condiciones, el único inconveniente es que no traía Slipcover y eso es muy importante para mí como coleccionista.

Ya era hora de conseguir esta película con una edición a la altura de la misma.Después de 3 ediciones en Blu-Ray de la película, por fin podemos tener (con esta ultima edición) la película en unas muy condiciones.La calidad de imagen es excelente con una definición correcta y sin defectos. Se ha usado un Blu-ray prensado de 50Gb y el master se encuentra en un estado impecable.Para la versión doblada en castellano tenemos 2 pistas: la ya conocida en Dolby Digital 5.1 con defectos y de baja calidad en la que las voces se distorsionan cuando suenan al mismo tiempo que la música y con efecto "enlatado". Y una nueva en Dolby Digital 2.0 proveniente del DVD sin defectos. La versión original viene presentada en Dolby Digital 5.1.Los extras son varios documentales, entrevistas y trailers que duran en total 3 horas y subtitulados perfectamente en castellano. Los extras son muy muy interesantes.

The Shawshank Redemption sits at the top of the IMDB Top 250 with a rating of 9.2/10, so it clearly appeals to the majority of those who have seen it. It's also hated by some because they can't agree that it's the best film ever made. While I understand that argument, I find it difficult to believe that the haters can't respect it on some level. However, I don't care about any of that, I love the film.The story begins in 1946 with the trial of Andy Dufresne (Robbins) and we see him convicted for murdering his wife and her lover. The next 30 minutes shows him arriving at the prison and slowly adapting to life behind bars. Darabont uses a number of violent scenes to establish that prison life is somewhat brutal, but he doesn't dwell on it as the film progresses.This is a film about hope and friendship more than anything else. It just happens to be set in a prison. Andy befriends Red (Freeman), because he's a man who knows how to obtain items from the outside world. Their friendship and mutual respect is there from the start and develops throughout the film.Andy is an educated man and he finally attracts the attention of the most brutal prison guard in a memorable rooftop scene. The guard has inherited some money and fears that the IRS will take a big chunk. Andy shows him a way to avoid losing any of it. That single event is the catalyst for significant change in Andy's life. The guards begin to protect him and he's given a job which enables him to use some of his knowledge. He's well-liked by both the inmates and the guards.Warden Norton (Gunton) is one of the most corrupt men in Shawshank, even though he runs the place. He seems fairly harmless, but he's actually evil, greedy and dangerous. He provides the main source of conflict in the film.Andy strives to improve prison life for everyone, as evidenced by his campaign to win funding for the library. He makes the best of his situation at all times.The final 30 minutes of the film is extremely uplifting. Stephen King wrote the short story on which the film is based and his influence can clearly be seen. One of the things I like about King is the sense of justice present in his stories. If you think back to The Green Mile, you'll see what I mean. The Shawshank Redemption covers 20 years of Andy's life. Darabont wanted the final scene to be omitted, but the conclusion is still incredible.In the 18 years since the film was made, you've probably heard dozens of Morgan Freeman voice-overs. If you watch the film, you'll see why.One of the themes present in the film is how inmates can become institutionalized. Imagine being in prison for 50 years. How would things have changed in the outside world? It would be bad enough missing 20 years. Think about the advances made since the early 1990s. If you stepped out of a prison cell after 20 years, wouldn't you wonder why everyone walked around talking into their cellphones? You might light a cigarette and be arrested.I would recommend The Shawshank Redemption to anyone. You might not like it, but there's a strong chance you will. Robbins and Freeman are both superb. I watch the film twice a year and never tire of seeing it.