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The Shawshank Redemption
Release Date: December 2, 2008
Studio: Warner Home Video
Packaging/Materials: Single-disc "Digibook" case
Year: 1994
Rating: R
Running Time: 2h22m
MSRP: $26.98
| MAIN FEATURE | SPECIAL FEATURES | |
| Video | 1080p high definition 16x9 1.85:1 | May be in standard definition |
| Audio | Dolby TrueHD: English 5.1 / Dolby Digital: English 5.1, French 5.1 (dubbed in Quebec), Spanish 2.0 | Audio standards my vary |
| Subtitles | English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Korean and Portuguese | None |
Note: Portions of this review include material from Herb Kane's 2004 review of the two-disc special edition DVD and are in italics. The entirety of Kane's write-up can be read here.
The Feature: 5/5
Despite serving two life sentences for the murder of his wife and her lover, Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) has the audacity to hope. And it's not that the Shawshank Penitentiary isn't trying its hardest to squash it, whether it's the ongoing molestation by "The Sisters" or the iron fist of Warden Norton (Bob Gunton) putting him in his place. But there's something in Andy that makes him persist, a quality that makes fellow lifer Red (Morgan Freeman) first take notice and then become his closest friend. Maybe it's that Andy maintains and wholly believes he's innocent of the crime he's in for; or maybe he's just crazy. Whatever the reason, Andy's sole source of strength spreads to those around him, incrementally improving their lives if not helping them feel like normal men once in awhile.
But two life sentences is a lot of time - to take abuse, to be made someone's lapdog - and it would take someone superhuman to not eventually crack, forego one's hopes and acquiesce to the fate he's been given. So maybe after 20 years at Shawshank, it's time for Andy to take a different tack.
Written and directed by Frank Darabont and adapted from a Stephen King novella, "The Shawshank Redemption" is what many would call "pitch perfect." Though undeniably sympathetic to its inmate characters, it avoids being overly scrutinized for that sympathy by being a period piece. Set between 1947 and 1967, the layers of time and nostalgia insulate the characters from our judgment. Of course it also helps that the warden and his chief guard (played by Clancy Brown) are bullies and really no better than those they oversee, though the actors' avoidance of caricature goes a long way towards making the situation believable. Robbins and Freeman also turn in exemplary performances, the former offering boyish innocence with quiet strength and the latter a pitch and weariness that lays bare his character's decades of incarceration. And though having a run time of almost two-and-a-half hours, no moment feels unnecessary or wasted - if anything we want more time with the characters. It's a swiftness of the minute hand I'm sure the Shawshank inmates would do anything to experience. Life in prison without its agonies, "The Shawshank Redemption" is highly recommended.
Video Quality: 4/5
Though labeled as 1.85:1 the image fills the entirety of my 16x9 display. The VC-1 encoded transfer is mostly devoid of blemishes and shows deep and consistent black levels, though contrast may vary a touch towards the end. With the naturalistic cinematography there is an abundance of shadows at any given time and detail in those areas is excellent. Fine object detail is decent, more so in close-ups than in wide shots, suggesting the application of some kind of filtering or noise reduction. The result is not egregious, but more discerning viewers will likely take notice. Though the color palette is earthy and muted, colors also show good depth and fidelity. Overall it's a very good transfer with mostly minor issues.
Audio Quality: 4/5
The Dolby TrueHD audio mix has dialogue as its primary element and its presentation is consistently clear and intelligible. Surround activity consists of support for the score and atmospherics, with few noticeable moments of directionality, though on the whole things are reasonably enveloping. LFE is also largely absent, though the low end sounds suitably full and rich with the score's bass parts. If there's one noticeable fault in the track it's that the center channel can sound a bit too discrete and localized at times, particularly with Freeman's narration. But few should have complaints about that element's clarity and detail, the familiar and soothing baritone of one our greatest, living actors coming across beautifully.
The 640 kbps Dolby Digital 5.1 audio sounds more constrained and less detailed by comparison, but most would be hard-pressed to differentiate the two tracks without aggressive A-B switching. Those with lossless playback will obviously choose the former, but those without shouldn't feel short-changed.
Special Features: 4/5
Audio Commentary by Writer and Director Frank Darabont: The director goes into great detail about the film, which includes everything from the conceptual process to various cast and crew information. He offers up a lot of terrific behind-the-scenes information about the film and he is extremely easy to listen to with little to no dead time. Overall, I was quite pleased with the commentary and found it entertaining and instructive.
"Hope Springs Eternal: A Look Back at the Shawshank Redemption" (31m01s): Comments and reflections from various cast and crew members, offering up some of their personal experiences during the production.
"Shawshank: The Redeeming Feature" (48m17s): British made-for-TV documentary in which Darabont discusses many of the greats that influenced him over the years, like George Lucas and Frank Capra, as well as the inspiration for some of the film’s characters.
"The Charlie Rose Show" Interview (42m21s): Roundtable discussion with host Rose, Darabont, Robbins, and Freeman. As always, Rose does a superb job, asking a number of great questions and eliciting a lot of informative responses from the guests.
"The Sharktank Redemption" (24m46s): Parody chronicles the life of two actors trapped within the Hollywood establishment as they discuss and plot an escape from their office confines. The spoof was directed by Natalie Van Doren and written by Doug Van Doren in 2000. Morgan Freeman’s son, Alfonso, plays a similar character as his father did in "Shawshank."
"Shawshank Stills" Gallery (15m58s): A variety of photos from production and storyboard images, set to various selections from the score. In high definition with stereo audio.
"Shawshank Collectibles" (1m22s): The Sideshow Collectibles promotional clip includes selections by artist Drew Struzan and Sebastian Kruger, who were among several artists commissioned to create pieces celebrating the film's 10th anniversary.
Theatrical Trailer (2m11s): In high definition with stereo audio.
Collectible Booklet: Housed in the "digibook" case, the nicely printed booklet has a brief production history, cast filmographies and a short essay.
Recap
The Feature: 5/5
Video Quality: 4/5
Audio Quality: 4/5
Special Features: 4/5
Overall Score (not an average): 4.5/5
A pitch perfect drama about hope and friendship gets very good audio and video treatment and a special features package that includes everything from the previous DVD release. Recommended.
