Shawshank Redemption opening analysis

Shawshank Redemption

Director: Frank Darabont

Studio: Columbia

Budget: $25 million

Total gross: $28.3 million

Genre: period drama.

The opening of Shawshank is a very poignant scene in cinema as it is very striking, bringing us as a viewer into the prison and makes us feel almost included.

The first shot is a mid-shot of our protagonist Morgan Freeman or "RED". In this shot we see his full body as he walks through the crowded prison. The fact we see his full body depicts him as an honest man with nothing to hide.

There is also a voiceover from our protagonist who acts as a narrator throughout the film. We are made aware of the fact it is a prison due to the costume our protagonist is wearing. The shots in this scene are very de-saturated  illustrating the setting to be a place of discipline and order. There is also minimal foliage through this whole scene which draws our mind towards what our character is saying. The narrative helps give background to our story yet also encourages narrative enigma.

The following shot follows "REDs" viewpoint as the alarm sounds and he looks towards the tower. The tower is above RED suggesting power and how he is inferior compared to the authority, this is a theme throughout the whole film. This is shown through an over the shoulder shot.

The next shot is very iconic. A helicopter shot which tracks the movement of the bus up to the prison and then flys over the prison to reveal the shear scale of Shawshank and the fortress like structure it possesses. The shot illustrates how small and weak the humans are compared to the prison as we are looking down on the very small people, in addition it foreshadows the fate for the new prisoners arriving on the bus.

Following this shot we are introduced to our second protagonist, "Andy Doufraine" through a push in shot on his face moving through the bus destined for the prison. This shot allows us to empathise more with Andy, a man who we never feel threatened by throughout the film despite the crime he is accused of. The push in puts us closer to his thoughts and emotions as he enters the prison however his face remains absent, this portrays Andy as very humble but in addition very strong willed and complex something we become more aware of throughout the film. The push in also seems to be slightly handheld, most likely achieved through a dolly in the moving bus. This slightly turbulent shot foreshadows Andys time in prison, the turbulent and sometimes traumatic experiences he will undergo throughout the film. One again we are presented with these cool colours throughout the sequence depicting the lifestyle as dull and very clinical.

The next shot is a tracking shot to eventually looking up at "RED" we follow him as he goes against the crowd towards a higher viewpoint where we look up at him. This depicts him as very different to the other prisoners and also puts him higher than the rest hinting at his position of power within.

The final shot of the opening sequence I analysed is another viewpoint, looking over the shoulder of one of the guards as the new prisoners enter Shawshank prison. With the guard in the foreground holding a gun, it physically makes him seem much more powerful than all the prisoners as he is looking down on them once again, portraying the sense of hierarchy.

The soundtrack is very prominent in the opening scene. It is a very humble tune yet with a hint of darkness once again showing the qualities the prison has within. Seemingly very ordered and yet with an underlying darkness which could be hinting at the corruption and violence within.