Why ‘Shawshank’ Is Considered The Greatest Film Of All Time

The Shawshank Redemption is revered as one of, if not, the greatest films of all time. It has a score of 9.3/10 on IMDB and has been rated nearly 3 million times.

But why is it so incredibly well-renowned and lauded by so many people? It doesn't scream box Office smash hit, something that ‘Titanic’, for example, definitely does.

For the most part, the film is somewhat ponderous and uneventful, yet people are still incredibly captivated by it. It is a story of hope, malevolence and kindness, but fundamentally, it is a story of humanity.

I believe that the reason it is so popular is because, in essence, it is a retelling of the story of Jesus Christ.

Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins’ character) is not only innocent, but [SPOLIER ALERT] is later proven to be innocent, and is still refused a retrial. Despite attempting to ameliorate his situation as best he could, by rebuilding the library, helping out the prison officials with their finances etc, he was shown no mercy.

Christ himself was also an innocent man. At the core of the crucifixion story is how not only was death by crucifixion considered the most horrid and painful death, but also that Christ himself was one of/if not the least deserving person at the time to have to be condemned to it. Much like Andy Dufresne, who was also not only undeserving but also left vulnerable to a variety of other atrocities during his time in prison. Moreover, Christ was betrayed and mistreated by those who knew of his innocence, just like Drefusne.

Imagine the worst possible thing, happening to the least deserving person. This is the archetypal tragedy. When these occurrences take place in life, the only appropriate language to use is religious, regardless of belief.

Ultimately Andy Drefusne found solace and escaped, and those that transgressed against him received their comeppunce. This is akin to the resurrection of Christ, who also arose from death, albeit a literal death as opposed to a metaphoric one (in theory).

So this is why I believe that ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ has such an impact on its viewers. The parallels between the two aforementioned stories underpin the great truths of humanity: betrayal, compassion, resilience and most importantly, faith.

It is worth a watch for anyone who has not seen it.

Until next time,

OxJ