Life of Kyle Prohaska

It’s rare that a film changes someone, truly changes someone.  At the core of their being they have a shift because of an experience they had watching the film.  I wont say a “spiritual experience” because then it starts to sound newage-ish…not my intent.

When I first saw this film, I hadn’t even heard of it prior to that.  I popped it into my computer and started to watch.  It was already late at night and normally I would have droopy eyes but right from the start the film grabbed me.  My top two favorite films deal with prisons, not because I’m a sadist, but because there is much to learn from the idea of prison.  It’s hard to really truly understand what you have unless it is taken, something God does in all of us from time to time.  It’s a huge reminder of where we need our focus to be.  Shawshank would probably be called a bland film by a teenager saw it today…or boring.  It’s not full of CGI or revolutionary camera work.  No slow-motion bulletime or action sequences to speak of.  It’s at its core, a drama.  It has an old Hollywood feel to it all, because of the nature of the story and the way it’s told.  It’s a period piece of the 30’s and into the 40’s and 50’s, and captures the times very well.  Also, because it was void of all the glitter and glamour in a huge blockbuster, I think I loved it more.  Its only leg to stand on was the storytelling and the character driven circumstances.  There isn’t any fluff or fillers to cover up bad storytelling.  It’s brilliance, and not the typical story to come from writer Steven King.  I find this film to be one of the most brilliant stories I’ve ever seen, and it’s presented with perfection. 

It’s a character study, every role whether it be the leads or supporting (and there are many of these) all have a lot of depth.  You feel their history when they are around each other, like one giant family sitting at a dinner table.  The camera work is slow moving and personal.  Only a few times do you ever get 15ft away from the point of interest.  You are at eye level with the actor almost exclusively.  There aren’t many special shots in the film, but it keeps you anchored to the characters.  The film is tough to watch at times, but every favorite film of mine is.  Eventual redemption wouldn’t feel so incredible if the road to get there wasn’t tough.  The audience needs to feel the payoff of Andy Dufraines escape, so you have to go right along with him in every valley he hits.  There is severe injustice to his character, more and more of it occurs as the story goes on.  You get angry at the injustice, but the payoff when justice is served to those who deserve it is great.  It didn’t phase me much but I remember my mom describing her anger that the warden killed himself in the end, she wanted to see him on trial so bad.  He took the cowards way out, but I found this to be adequate because that was exactly what kind of person he was.  The highest in power but the weakest in character, and a hypocrite.  His usage of scripture and the bible in the film makes me twitch, because he is absolute slime.  The reveal in the end of the film where you see that Andy had been hiding the rock hammer inside the very object he knew the warden would never take away made me cheer.  Andy was the smartest, he outsmarted the system.  This is where the story really becomes genius, is the last 20 minutes.  You watch all this injustice and character development and setup, then Andy becomes free.  That already fills you with elation, but the story isn’t over.  Your hit with one great thing after another that ties in that previous two hours you spent wincing and soaking in the story.  Andy walks into the bank as the man who “doesn’t exist,“ and takes hundreds of thousands of dollars out of the bank.  The greatest part about this is he didn’t really steal it.  He took out what the pay would’ve been had he been properly compensated for his accountant work for the warden.  He could’ve taken all of it, but he took what was rightfully his under the law.  The integrity shown in Andy’s character is monumental throughout.  The perfect example of a man who respected his fellow man.  In some ways he reminds me of myself.  Not because I’m putting myself on a pedestal for integrity, but because the desires he has as a person are similar to my own.  Like when Andy took a huge risk to get beers for his inmates.  He didn’t even want to drink one, he just wanted to watch his friends enjoy themselves.  That’s all he wanted, it was worth it.  Same with the record player.  He knew he would get in trouble, but turned the volume up on that music anyways.  He wanted everyone to feel the freedom he had in his own being.  Have I done some wacky things sometimes in life just so I felt alive?  Absolutely.  Biblically as well, there is nothing more satisfying than seeing the people you care about satisfied and happy.  I’m not a father but any father reading this knows that when he sees his child smile, his heart is warmed.

Red’s character was less relatable for me personally.  However, he reminded me of someone else I know, so I connected.  This is a story about many things, but at it’s core it’s friendship.  There is a bond between Andy and Red that I absolutely love.  Friendship in my eyes isn’t cheap, and it isn’t easy.  True friendship takes work like a marriage.  There is loyalty and trust that is built over many years.  I’ve had two friends in my life that I would place in this category, one of them more than the other.  There is a special bond there, and if I don’t see him for more than a year…the next time I do, we hit it off like we saw each other yesterday.  That’s something unique that I love to see portrayed.  I can understand that special bond, and it’s so backwards from what the world calls a “friend.“  That word is thrown around much to flippantly and wastefully.  My favorite part of Red’s character was his attitude.  That might be the part that I relate to on a more personal level.  This was confirmed for me when Red walks in to meet the parole board the third and last time.  His speech is right on the money, and really paints a picture of my attitude sometimes about things.  There is much said by Red throughout the film that is so true that it will stick with the viewer.  That is something else the film is full of that makes it so great.  Almost every scene of the film is a great memory for me.  The story of Brooks for instance, so much truth to be learned there.  Red’s line comes to mind “they send you here for life, that’s exactly what they take.“  The lines written throughout the film are perfectly crafted.  I honestly think Frank Darabont is one of the greatest writers I’ve seen, especially for adaptations.  He adapts novels so well, especially King’s books. 

The ending of the film never fails to put a smile on my face.  The joy I felt when I first saw it kept me still in my chair.  I can’t really articulate how it really made me feel, it was incredible.  The moment in which this might have hit it’s peak is when the revealing of the poster came about.  When the Warden put his finger in that hole and pushed his arm right through it ripping the poster off.  I yelled really loud!  It must have been 1:30am or something at that point but I didn’t care.  It was brilliance, and the retelling of the story by Red made it even better.  The fact I can watch this film over and over and still feel the joy that I did the first time I saw it really makes this film special.  That is why I don’t think it will ever move from my #1 spot, because it is so much more than just “a film.“  Seeing Andy and Red meet each other on the beach at the end gives me chills just thinking about it.  This film is fantastic, and there is a reason it’s as popular as it is.  It’s worked its way into the households around the US since it’s release on video, and more and more people discover it every day.  I’ve read stories of this film helping people through a difficult divorce, break ups, death of loved ones, loss of a job, and anything else you can think of.  It seems like the stories that you can find never fail to impress.  It really truly changed it’s viewers, and there are lots of them.

Not many films can do that, and few do it for so many years after they’re released.