I watched the movie The Shawshank Redemption when I was a primary school student. My brother is a cinephile, and I often watch films with him. I couldn’t understand the movie very well when I first watch this movie. The only thing I can clearly remember is that a clever senior man whose nickname is Red can bring whatever you want into the prison, such as candy, cigarettes, and even posters of your favorite stars.

Based on Stephen King’s novel, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, the movie tells a story about Andy Dufresne and his life in Shawshank Prison. He was accused of murdering his wife and her lover though he was innocent. I believe it is a conventional film, for it is adopted from a famous novel, and the story has become very familiar. There have been many similar movies and TV series after it.

Recently, I have a chance to watch the film again, and it made a different impression on me. In my childhood, the most impressed plot in my mind is those various gadgets brought by Red. However, that plot is replaced by another scene this time. Andy found a record The Marriage of Figaro when he was helping the warden collate files. He dashed to the broadcast room to play the record and locked the door. At the same time, the warden was in the bathroom. Upon the music started, the prisoners working on the playground thought they see the sunlight and the beauty in the world.

Meanwhile, they felt like free men. Andy himself reclined in his chair enjoying the beautiful music. In that time, Red said, “I have to remind myself that some birds aren’t meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright. ” From this plot, I can feel prisoner’s strong desire of freedom and the power of hope. Though they were in dark prison, they never lost the faith of freedom.

After reading some historical documents about this movie, I find that the film didn’t hit the headline when it first came out. Only few people appreciate it. It only raked in $28 million, and hardly anyone went to the cinema to see it. Morgan Freeman, one of the actors in this movie, said, “The reason for that is, I think, is word of mouth.” It seems that the title of this film is hard to remember.

However, it has been recognized as an unmatchable work by a growing number of people over time, which tells us a change of people’s thinking in different periods. The theme of this movie can explain why it appeals to more and more audiences. Hope, friendship, and freedom are three significant topics in this movie. Many reviews have kept popping up since the film was released. In recent time, some reviews speak highly of the hope reflected in this movie, and they merely ascribe Andy’s success to hope. However, I think his persistence and strong desire for freedom also are primary contributing factors. Without hope, Andy may feel content to spend his whole life in prison; without persistence, he couldn’t cut into the wall and run away from the prison.

To some extent, this process of looking back helps me understand why people turned bearish on this movie when it came out. It is a low-cost film. Even the director doubted whether the movie could succeed or not. There was another movie Forrest Gump came out at the same time. People believed in the spirit of Forrest Gump, and they couldn’t accept the ideas reflected by The Shawshank Redemption in a short time. The essence of this spirit is that we should make every effort to achieve our goals. However, The Shawshank Redemption focused more on hope and friendship rather than working by oneself. That’s why people at that time couldn’t see the merits of this movie. With time passing by, the TV and DVDs developed quickly, and people’s values have changed dramatically. They come to know the spirits reflected by this movie, and they give high praises to it. In short, the tide of time can change people’s mind and their taste of movies.