Before we look at The Shawshank Redemption movie reviews, it should be noted that this much-loved modern classic wasn’t received with overwhelming praise back in 1994. Sure, a number of critics enjoyed it despite the film’s fairy-tale qualities, but others felt as though first-time director Frank Darabont should’ve shown more brutality within the prison walls. Most agreed, however, that Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman did an outstanding job, and a number of other cast members were praised for their work on the motion picture.
Moviegoers weren’t breaking out of prison to see it, however. The Shawshank Redemption–based on the Stephen King novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption–grossed just slightly more than its $25 million budget. Once you add in the cost of promotion, well, let’s just say that the movie didn’t set the world on fire the first time around.
But boy how things can change. The story of a banker who receives two life sentences for a crime he didn’t commit has managed to resonate with viewers of both genders, but especially those of the male variety. It’s been played endlessly on television, and any video store worth a damn has at least a copy or two.
I wanted to take a look back at some of the original Shawshank Redemption movie reviews to see who was on board and who wasn’t. And not wanting to leave the more modern critics out of the loop, I’ve also thrown in a number of reviews written in the years since the film’s release.
- Roger Ebert of The Chicago Sun-Times – No list of The Shawshank Redemption movie reviews would be complete without the thoughts of Roger Ebert. The king of all movie critics gave the film a near-perfect score, remarking on its life, humor, and the warm friendship that grows between the two leads.
- Desson Thomson of The Washington Post – According to this critic, they should have called the film Forrest Gump Goes to Jail. There is a factual inaccuracy in the review, though, as he mentions the warden (Bob Gunton) likes to beat prisoners to death. That was, in fact, the head guard (Clancy Brown). If you’re going to bitch about a movie, at least get the facts right.
- James Berardinelli of ReelViews – The world’s nerdiest-looking film critic (and a damn fine writer) calls it one of the best filmed versions of any Stephen King story (no love for Running Man?). Actor James Whitmore gets a load of praise, as does cinematographer Roger Deakins and the drab, grey walls of the prison.
- Jonathan Rosenbaum of the Chicago Reader – A capsule review of the film, citing the strong performances from Robins, Freeman, Gunton, William Sadler, Brown, Whitmore, and Gil Bellows. I could’ve used a little more detail, but what do you expect from a capsule review?
- Rob Humanick of The Projection Booth – This online critic gives Shawshank a poor review, citing the sentimentality and refusal to show some of the film’s harsher moments (such as the actual rape scenes). He does, however, state that debuting feature-film director Frank Darabont proves to be “a skilled and keen filmmaker.”
- Walter Chaw of Film Freak Central - Mr. Chaw gives the movie a less than glowing review, writing “The Shawshank Redemption is a Norman Rockwell painting about the inside of a prison starring a Christ figure who’s crucified in the court of man, sent to a dark hole for a while, and reborn on the beaches of Mexico having inspired every apostle he’s left behind to spread the gospel of his exploits.” He spends a lot of time in the review talking about the religious connotations of the film, and he even gets in a shot or two at George W. Bush.
- Louise Keller of Urban Cinefile – Reviewing the film’s DVD release, Louise gives Shawshank a glowing review. She even goes so far as to call it “a treasure of a film that everyone should see.” On a personal note, I’d have to agree with her.
- Ed Gonzalez of Slant Magazine – Writing that “Darabont’s version of King’s story is gimmicky and schematic and panders to our most contrived sexual anxieties and base notions of revenge and guerrilla justice,” Gonzalez proceeds to rip Shawshank up one side and down the other. He seems especially irate about the fairy-tale take on prison life, and he also takes the opportunity to knock films such as Star Wars and Casablanca (calling the former “genuinely terrible”).
- Kevin N. Laforest of Montreal Film Journal – Giving it his highest rating possible, Laforest raves and raves about the film. He praises the music, the acting, the cinematography, and the directing. He even praises the work of the key grip (okay, I’m lying about that last one).
- Brian Webster of Apollo Guide – While he does complain about the bad guys being one-dimensional and the prisoners seeming lack of contact with the outside world, Webster goes on to call it “memorable” and “one of the most inspiring films you’ve seen in a long time.” He also notes that while the film can be depressing in spots, the character of Andy always manages to do something remarkable to pull the viewer back in.
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