The Shawshank Redemption (Widescreen Edition): Amazon.ca: DVD: DVD

Product Description

Amazon.com Essential Video

When this popular prison drama was released in 1994, some critics complained that the movie was too long (142 minutes) to sustain its story. Those complaints miss the point, because the passage of time is crucial to this story about patience, the squeaky wheels of justice, and the growth of a life-long friendship. Only when the film reaches its final, emotionally satisfying scene do you fully understand why writer-director Frank Darabont (adapting a novella by Stephen King) allows the story to unfold at its necessary pace, and the effect is dramatically rewarding. Tim Robbins plays a banker named Andy who's sent to Shawshank Prison on a murder charge, but as he gets to know a life-term prisoner named Red (Morgan Freeman), we realize there's reason to believe the banker's crime was justifiable. We also realize that Andy's calm, quiet exterior hides a great reserve of patience and fortitude, and Red comes to admire this mild-mannered man who first struck him as weak and unfit for prison life. So it is that The Shawshank Redemption builds considerable impact as a prison drama that defies the conventions of the genre (violence, brutality, riots) to illustrate its theme of faith, friendship, and survival. Nominated for seven Academy Awards including Best Picture, Actor, and Screenplay, it's a remarkable film that signaled the arrival of a promising new filmmaker--a film that many movie lovers count among their all-time favorites. --Jeff Shannon

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Customer Reviews

649 Reviews

5 star:		(582)
4 star:		(32)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(16)
1 star:		(7)

Average Customer Review

4.8 out of 5 stars (649 customer reviews)

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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Modern Classic, Jan 11 2009

By

Toast (Vancouver, BC Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: The Shawshank Redemption (Collector's Edition with Storybook) [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)

The Movie itself: The Shawshank Redemption is not just another movie, its not another movie adaptation either. Its a tale of hope & redemption. Its rated No.1 on IMDB by users, and often ranks amongst top 5 movies on other internet ranking sites. Often dubbed as a modern classic, this movie has developed a cult following and is considered as best on screen adaptation of a Stephen King story. I can go on typing pages about how good this movie is and how absorbed I am in it every time I see it, but I think you all get the point, so let's move on to the fun stuff.

Video: I have owned this movie in all the formats ever released, the original DVD, the 10th Anniversary Edition and now this one. Yes this one by far is the best. The helicopter shots of the prison and its yards are simply gorgeous. I found the picture to be a little too smooth in some close up shots but sitting 6-10 feet away I doubt if anyone will notice that. The colors pallet is very consistent and gives us very little to complain. Warner's 1080p/VC-1 encode presented in 1.85:1 aspect ratio is a wonderful upgrade for the previous owners of the movie who have upgraded to HDTV sets.

Audio: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 is perfectly balanced. From the dialogue to sobbing, screams & whispers the sound is crystal clear. There are no action sequences and Bourne Trilogy type chases in this movie, so the soundtrack and the level of its loudness leaves very little to be desired.

Final Words: From "When those bars slam home, you know its for real" to "Get busy livin' or Get busy Dyin'" this movie is what true Hollywood cinema is all about. From being a box office failure to a moderate success (when it got 7 academy nominations) this epic has turned in to a must watch movie in Home Video history. Blockbuster and Netflix still rank this movie as one of the most rented movies in their database and there is a good reason for it........ its a brilliant movie with a huge replay value, one never gets tired of it. Highly recommended.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars One of the best movies ever deserves a better DVD., Sep 30 2002

By

Ben Rowland (Toronto, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Shawshank Redemption (Widescreen Edition) (DVD)

If I were to rate this based on the movie alone, it would get 5 stars, no contest. But the fact that the DVD is so unremarkable drags the rating down much lower than the movie deserves. Keep reading and you'll see my reasons.

I cannot praise the movie well enough, since it is one of my all time favorites. It tells the story of Andy Defresne (Tim Robbins), a banker who was wrongfully convicted of murder, and spent 19 years in prison for it. During his time, he befriends a pretty, but intellegent, crook (Morgan Freeman), and their bond solidifies as the years grow. Dufresne himself makes a difference in almost all the prisoner's lives, by showing that the cruelty of the prison cannot darken his will and spirit. It is an inspiring movie, it's almost hard to believe that it is based on a Stephen King story. Everything about the movie fits, the acting, the writing, and the entertainment. It is an exceptional movie.

Why is it that Warner decided to release this great movie in DVD devoid of quality extras. Next to one theatrical trailer, some totally uninteresting filographies, and a paper-thin photo gallery, there is nothinh else of interest beside the movie itself. There are no commentaries, no featurettes, and no insight from the filmmakers. Basically, everything you would want is not included on the DVD. But worse yet is the packaging. I don't know why Warner thinks that it's a good idea to sell DVDs in those cheap "Snapper" cased (The thin cardboard with a plastic frame that 'snaps' on the side), because it will not last long without getting dinged and scratched. As a principle, I refuse to buy movies in "Snapper" cases. This was the one exception.

If you already have the VHS version, the only real incentive to get the DVD is the anamorphic widescreen transfer, which gives the picture a crisp, clear look. The sound quality is also nicely kicked up, and it's a special benefit to those with surround sound, because it's the next best thing to actually being in the theatre.

One of the biggest qualms I have with the standard of DVDs today is that second-rate movies get the 2-disc "all inclusive" DVD treatment, while brilliant movies like "The Shawshank Redemption" get the minimalist, barren treatment. I am hoping that they will release a special edition DVD sometime in the near future, because this is not the "definitave edition" of the movie. Fingers crossed.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant movie!, Jan 26 2009

By

Rachel M. Banks "Shopper1" (Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Shawshank Redemption (10th Anniversary 2-Disc Special Edition) (DVD)

"Get busy livin' or get busy dyin'" is the theme of this great prison film about second chances. This movie stars Morgan Freeman as 'Red' and Tim Robbins as 'Andy' an innocent banker, who meet up in prison from two very different worlds, to become lifelong best friends. There performances were incredible and very poignant. 'Shawshank' is a wonderful story of how friendship prevails and stands the test of time, hardship and injustice, as others have mentioned. I will simply say it's a purchase that is a must have and is beyond a 5 star film. I enjoy movies that are well written and well acted with meaning and this one is the best. I'm amazed it didn't win an Academy Award. This is a must have 5 star purchase with the best ending ever!

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Movies
I purchased this movie and it was great. The package came really quick and the price was better than I could get anywhere else. I will certainly purchase other things from amazon.

Published 5 months ago by Ruth

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible Movie
First, Amazon ROCKS with it's fast delivery, easy check-out, and amazing service! This Blu-ray movie gives us insight how prison can change a person. Read more

Published 10 months ago by ck