Written and directed byFrank Darabont,The Shawshank Redemptionis one of the most quotable movies of the ’90s.
Darabont directed three ofthe most rewatchable Stephen King adaptations, andShawshankis virtually regarded as the best.
However, nothing makes this film more memorable than its dialogue and narration.
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There are so many excellent lines here that deciding on the best is a real challenge.
This will surely land him time in the hole, but he does it anyway.
And, for the briefest of moments, every last man at Shawshank felt free."
While Red says “every last man at Shawshank felt free,” the camera lands specifically on him.
14"It’s the only way they’d let me stay."
Brooks has been in prison for fifty years.
At that point, and at his age, he has no connection to the outside world.
13"It was in here."
But he didn’t have any record player.
Instead, Andy points to his forehead and says “It was in here.”
Then he touches his chest, “and in here.”
He had the music memorized, and (more importantly) still felt its beauty in his soul.
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It’s a bit sentimental, butthe memorable movie lineproves that the power of music cannot be underestimated.
After all, Andy claims that it helps remind him that there’s a world out there.
Music is an extension of the soul, a manifestation of hope.
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During a cell inspection, Warden Norton asks Andy what his favorite Bible verse is.
Cleverly, the film doesn’t let the audience know that on their first viewing.
The fact that he is standing face-to-face with Norton in his cell makes the quote even cooler.
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It comes across as a nod to the inspection, but Norton doesn’t see anything more.
11"Or am I being obtuse?"
In response, his head tilted a bit to the side, Norton threatens him in an intimidating monologue.
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At the end of it he asks, “You understand me?
Catching my drift?”
Then he straightens his head, “Or am I being obtuse?”
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10"I had to come to prison to be a crook."
One of the reasons whyThe Shawshank Redemptionis one ofthe best escape movies ever madeis its sense of humor.
Oh, the irony.
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The smile on Andy’s face reveals he holds no remorse for breaking the rules.
He’s not just an obedient banker helping out with taxes anymore; he can be creative, too.
On Andy’s final night in Shawshank, he is first filmed from the waist up.
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Amusingly, Red recalls that no one noticed because no one pays attention to a man’s shoes.
8"Hope is a dangerous thing.
Hope can drive a man insane."
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Hope can drive a man insane."
To this point, Red just leaves, showing further that he can’t afford to accept that mindset.
6"Prison is no fairy-tale world."
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I wish I could tell you that, but prison is no fairy-tale world."
Meanwhile, the camera pans away from the assault.
The fact that viewers don’t see Andy as he gets kicked shows his powerlessness in the current situation.
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Red’s narration also ushers in a dark montage that displays the cruel routine of prison life.
