Camera Angles
In the Shawshank redemption, there were a lot of different camera angles used to create different effects. I think the best camera angles were used in the beginning when Andy and the other convicts reached the Shawshank state prison. This is because there were a variety of different angles used to give a little introduction to show what the prison actually looked like. The reason why I found that this part of the film’s camera angles were the best was because there was an aerial shot of the prison which immediately showed the boundaries of the prison. This showed that there was no escape. Also there was a shot of the prison when the camera was looking up at the prison. This made the prison look bigger than it really it was.
When Brooks left the prison, he stayed in a room where he committed suicide. The camera was looking directly at brooks feet, as he killed him self. When Red left the prison, he also stayed in the same room as Brooks. The reason why I liked these two particular scenes was because the camera angles were the same in both of the scenes. I thought that Red was going to kill himself as the same way Brooks did but all Red did was engrave his name. This was a good way of creating tension by just using camera angles. The scene were Tommy got killed I think was very dramatic using different camera angles.
The use of camera angles when Andy escaped I thought was breathtaking as this also had a variety of different camera angle. The atmosphere also contributed in making this scene so amazing. This scene was when Andy escaped from the prison through the sewage pipes. I think this scene symbolised freedom. This also showed what you can accomplish when you try hard.
Themes
The main theme in the film was power and corruption. There were many ways in which this was showed. As Andy and the other convicts entered the prison, Red and his friends put bets on who will cry out first. As the first man cried out, that person was beaten to hell by the guard, otherwise known as Hadley. The guard used the name of god in conjunction with violence. As Hadley was beating up the person, he made some humorous but violent comments about the convict. The buzzer was used to control life of the inmates, which showed over and over again the prisoners were not free. The bible was also used as a method of control as it was handed out to the convicts everyday. Warden threatened Andy that he would “hold time” if Andy didn’t continue working with him. In between the power and corruption, there was hope. Andy hoped that he would be free one day, and that day came.
Dramatic Scenes
There are many dramatic scenes in this film. The four most dramatic scenes The way Andy’s escape was shown was very clever and dramatic. This is because Andy’s escape was the least expected and the way he had escaped was cunning. The camera angle used in this scene was also very good. When Warden Norton threw Andy’s carved stones at the poster, the stone ripped through the poster. From here on, Red narrated the story of how he escaped from the prison.