IMDB ranked Darabont's film at number one amongst all time movies. The biggest reason critically acclaimed film critics such as IMDB hold The Shawkshank Redemption in such high regard, starts with the incredible performances from the two protagonists, Tim Robbins as Andy Dufresne, and Morgan Freeman as Ellis Boyd "Red" Redding.
The adversity stricken journey in which both characters have incredible resilience, forces the audience to stay on their toes, anticipating the outcome of the two. In Freeman's case, he has one of the more distinctive and soothing voices in amongst actors.
The film takes advantage of Freeman's unique sound by having him narrate through out. There's a perfect balance of story telling done through action on screen, with periodical background information and character building provided by Freeman mixed in.
TIME Magazine's Richard Schickel summed up Freeman's complete performance in the film, bringing all the different aspects of how he impacts it to light. "Freeman, who is simply a great actor, a man who has never struck a false note in his career, both narrates this tale and anchors it with his authoritative playing," said Schickel.
On the flip side, Darabont does a fantastic job of making the main antagonists in the film as hatable as the protagonists are likable. Bob Gunton as Warden Norton, and Clancy Brown as Captain Hadley both serve as constant obstacles for Dufresne, Red, and the other prisoners.
Captain Hadley and the other guards use excessive force toward the prisoners repeatedly in the film to assert their dominance over them. Hadley truly shows his crazed and impulsive ways when he nearly throws Dufresne off of a roof when the savvy banker suggests a way for Hadley avoid losing money for a divorce lawsuit from his ex wife.
This incident eventually connects to Warden Norton, the other antagonist in the film. He utilizes Dufresne's financial smarts to help Norton with his illegal business schemes and keeping tabs on the prisoners investments.
Norton realizes that Dufresne is an asset to him, and his evil nature peaks when he carries out a murder for a prisoner named Tommy Williams, who claims he has concrete evidence that Dufresne is innocent from charges of murdering his wife. Williams is insistent on setting Dufresne free because he took Williams under his wing, agreeing to tutor him because he isn't educated.
Williams' death was an indicator to the audience that Norton will not stop at anything to continue his corrupt ways within Shawshank prison. The extremely innocent and genuine kindness of Dufresne and Red's characters, matched with the villainous and immoral tendencies of Norton and Hadley makes Dufresne's genius escape at the conclusion of the film one of the more satisfying moments in cinematic history.
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