The Shawshank Redemption is an inspiring prison drama. It tells the story of Andy, who has been wrongfully convicted of murder and is serving time in a notorious prison, the Shawshank Penitentiary. He befriends another inmate named Red and they become close friends. I will analyze the character of Red and this scene from the movie:
ANDY
(taps his heart, his head)
The music was here...and here.
That's the one thing they can't
confiscate, not ever. That's the
beauty of it. Haven't you ever felt
that way about music, Red?
RED
Played a mean harmonica as a younger
man. Lost my taste for it. Didn't
make much sense on the inside.
ANDY
Here's where it makes most sense.
We need it so we don't forget.
RED
Forget?
ANDY
That there are things in this world
not carved out of gray stone. That
there's a small place inside of us
they can never lock away, and that
place is called hope.
RED
Hope is a dangerous thing. Drive a
man insane. It's got no place here.
Better get used to the idea.
ANDY
(softly)
Like Brooks did?
Character analysis of Red: “Red” is a convict at the Shawshank Penitentiary. He is also the narrator of the movie and provides a commentary about the gritty events of the prison. He runs a contraband operation in prison, supplying the prisoners with banned items for a price. This makes him indispensable in prison, and elevates him in the prison’s pecking order. He and the protagonist, Andy, eventually become close friends. Red’s hard exterior conceals his fears of life in the outside world. Andy helps free Red’s mindset and helps him see life beyond prison. He looks out for Red, but is unaware of Andy’s 19-year saga of building a tunnel through the prison to escape. Surprised at first, and overjoyed, he eventually comes to miss Andy’s presence in his life. Red admires Andy’s resolute sense of hope that sees him digging the tunnel for 19 years. Red is eventually paroled. He finds it difficult to adjust to the outside world, but he remembers a promise he had made to Andy. He eventually joins Andy in the “free world.”
Super objective for the production: The Shawshank Redemption is one of the rare movies with dual protagonists—Red and Andy. Red is the narrator, and though he helps us view the movie and Andy from his eyes, he admits that the story is about himself, and his struggles to redeem himself, and the struggle to stay positive.
Character objective of the scene: Red depicts a man who has been in prison so long that he has accepted prison as his home. In the scene, he portrays a man who has lost hope, while Andy personifies hope and tenacity.
Sub-objectives of the scene: While Andy is trying to convince Red about never giving up hope, Red is wary of having hope in prison. He is of the view that it is better to exist than to have hope. Then Andy mentions another inmate, Brook. Brook had also given up hope after a long stint in prison, and eventually died after being released from prison. This sub-objective serves as a caution against losing hope.
Explanation:
PLATO
