On a narrative level The Shawshank Redemption is a movie about the power of hope in the face of extraordinary hardship. But underpinning Andy Dufresne’s story we also find a blistering critique of the prison system and criminal justice policy in the United States. The film’s narrative and cinematography work in conjunction to humanize, not just our protagonists, but all the prisoners at Shawshank. And that humanization is instrumental in facilitating the film’s larger critique the prison industrial complex.
For $5 a month, you'll gain access to over 50 patron-exclusive documentaries while keeping us ad-free and financially independent. We need 350 more Patrons to grow our team in 2024.
Subscribe here
Our 6000+ video library is 99% free, ad-free, and entirely community-funded thanks to our patrons!