Frank Darabont's The Shawshank Redemption

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Frank Darabont’s ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ portrays the experiences of a formerly successful banker, Andrew Dufresne, imprisoned in the jailhouse of Shawshank after being found guilty of a crime he claims he did not commit, the murder of his wife and her lover. The film, set in the 1940’s, illustrates how Dufresne adapts to the unpleasant lifestyle transformation he is confronted with and becomes the most unconventional prisoner. Throughout ‘The Shawshank Redemption’, the themes of corruption and power are explored through a group of scenes which coherently display the ways in which authority is abused within the institutional system. Darabont has utilised a variety of film techniques to amplify the strength of these scenes, thus creating …show more content…

Throughout this scene, background noises are used effectively in order to create an uncomfortable environment, allowing the audience’s emotions to mimic those of all new inmates, frightened and unsettled. As the guard enters the scene, his voice acts as an indication of his power and authority, overpowering all other noise and using a strong, forceful tone. When his tone is compared to ‘Fat Ass’s’ high pitched whine, each character’s standpoint becomes evident, hence, his impending beating becomes inevitable. With every hit ‘Fat Ass’ takes, only thumping noises can be heard, followed by cries of agonizing pain, all other noises are so subtle, they become irrelevant, allowing ‘Fat Ass’s’ beating to become the focal event. Camera shots and angles are also used to highlight emotion and emphasize one’s standpoint in the scene. Close up shots are primarily used to display emotion, in particular, the fear and distress on ‘Fat Ass’s’ face as he is victimised and intimidated by his fellow inmates. However, over-the-shoulder shots are used to characterise one’s standpoint in the situation, this …show more content…

Once again, Darabont has used an assortment of effective sound and camera techniques to primarily highlight the themes of corruption and power, however, in doing so, they also create a much more powerful scene. This scene consists predominantly of close range shots, able to portray emotion extensively well, however, above all, these shots act as a clear indication of each character’s power within the situation as all are taken from a particular angle. Specifically, those of Dufresne are taken from a high angle looking downward while those of the Warden are taken from a low angle looking upward, implying the Warden holds the greater power. Their appearance is also an indication of the present theme of corruption, the Warden is well groomed and dressed, where as Dufresne is beaten and unclean, serving as a consequence of his mistreatment and the clear breach of authority on the Warden’s behalf, as Dufresne has behaved in no such manner as to deserve this. The predominant strength of this scene comes from the content of the dialogue, however, the Warden’s passive aggressive tone is a contributing factor, when compared to Dufresne’s weak and dry vocals, paired with the eerie background music, the severity of this emotional attack against Dufresne becomes apparent. Although no major events

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