"Hope Is a Good Thing, Maybe the Best of Things". How Does Darabont Explore the Power of Hope in 'the Shawshank Redemption'?

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Released in 1944, The Shawshank Redemption narrates the story of Andy Dufrene, who unfortunately is accused for the murder of his wife and he received a punishment of two life sentences in prison. However, throughout his time spent in the Shawshank prison, Andy slyly is an underdog and spends a lot of his time planning his escape. The Shawshank Redemption portrays an intense outline of hope and how hope is significant for humans. The audience can see contrasts on the power of hope through the range of filmic techniques such as voice- overs, camera shots, charecterisation, audio and music, and the overall plot and dialogue. Through the use of these filmic techniques, the director Frank Darabont, encourages the audience to identify, with the central character Andy, his attitudes towards hope and good will power. One of the various values expressed in The Shawshank Redemption is the power of hope. Andy is a firm representer of hope and suggests that hope is a good thing, because it keeps you holding on and it can be taken from you. However, Ellis 'Red' Redding disagrees, saying that "hope can drive a man insane." Thus, Andy refuses to believe that hope is as not important as Red claims it to be. When Andy plays a Mozart aria over the PA system, using a record, the whole of Shawshank comes to standstill. Red narrates through a voice-over "for the briefest of moments, every last man in Shawshank felt free." With the use of music, Darabont is able to leave the impression on the audience that hope is a significant, thus, positive attitude, because no matter how long those men had been shut behind Shawhsank prison walls, or how tough their life was, it was the music that allowed them to feel hope. Even after two weeks in 'the hole' Andy was still insistent that music was precious, as it brings about a sense of hope. Second example of the power of hope, is when the

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