Shawshank redemption, importnt scenes
... time…” This takes on literal meaning to the line “Fear can hold you prisoner, hope can set you free” - though he has been released he still maintains fear, which is holding him imprisoned. When Brooks adds to his previous statement, “I’ve decided not to stay,” it reveals his vulnerability and insecurities, making the viewer anxious about what Brooks is going to do next. Brooks continues in his letter, saying that he doubts “they’ll kick up a fuss. Not for an old crook like me,” and we see him carve into the wall ‘Brooks was here.’ The viewer can tell from the dark scenery what is to happen next. The scene end with Brooks’ feet dangling in the air. After Brooks’ poignant parole release, it leaves the viewer with a pang of worry when Red is also granted probation. The viewer sees from the earlier foreshadowing that if Red holds the same insecurities as Brooks, and is devoid of hope, he too may be adversely affected by institutionalism. The viewer gets the sense that this is indeed going to happen as Red’s journey very much mirrors the sad one of Brooks; they both leave the prison in the same bus, with the same zoom in technique used on their faces to reveal their inner worries; they both take on the same dead-end job at a supermarket; they both live in the same half-way house; furthermore, Red lives in the same room that Brooks committed suicide in. Even the serious, depressing music tells you that Red isn’t going to make it on the outside. We, the viewer, get the feeling it is the end for Red when we see him looking down at a display of guns in a shop window - until Red reminds us of the promise he made to Andy. The camera now pans over to a compass. This is a very direct way of showing the viewer Red has chosen hope over fear. Red returns to his dreary apartment, with its brown walls and low lighting, to get the things he needs. He carves onto the wall beside Brooks’ engraving “So was Red.” Thus he sends out a positive message that although there are the some people who are unreachable, there are also those who choose hope over despair. The next shot in which we see Red, he is waiting in line for his ticket out of to...