Shawshank Redemption - The Music Scene

Warden Norton's costume is very clean and expensive and well looked after, compared to Andy's dull, grey prison uniform. The fact that Warden Norton wears spectacles instantly shows us that he is well educated, unlike the prisoners who may have not been. Warden Norton also wears a badge which symbolizes wealth and heighrarky, whetheras the prisoners have plain grey uniforms with their prisoner number iron on patch on the top right corner of their uniforms. The idea of entrapment is shown through the colours of the prisoners clothing compared to the wardens. Grey, dirty clothes compared to clean pressed and immaculate navy blue clothing makes it very obvious who is in charge.

Shawshank Redemption - The Music Scene

Quote - Narration by Red

By: Tessa

Lighting

The lighting in Shawshank is usually quite low key, but when Andy playes the opera music through the big speakers and the prisoners stop and listen to the music, the lighting changes to high key. The music symbolizes the idea of hope and freedom and the music complemmenting the fact that their is only rarely a sight of freedom, hope and happiness within a prison. As like the high key lighting used in this scene, it's rare that high key lighting is shown within Shawshank.

"I have no idea to this day what those two Italian ladies were singing about, truth is, I don't want to know some things are best left unsaid. I like to think that it was something so beautiful it can't be expressed in words and makes your heart ache because of it. I tell you those voices sound higher and farther than anybody in a grey place dares to dream. It was like a beautiful bird flapped into our drab little cage and made those walls dissolve away and for the briefest of moments every last man at Shawshank felt free"

Music Scene

Camera Shots - Close up

Analysis

In this scene Andy finds a record and he chooses a song that two Italian lady's are singing. This shows the theme of hope because it shows that andy is not afraid of being told off for something that can affect all of the prisoners and give them a taste and feel of the outside wold and a taste of freedom. Andy maintains hope throughout the entire film and this is shown through the actions that he has towards his inmates.

This scene shows that it doesn't matter if you don't understand what people are singing about, because the sound of freedom is enough to get your attention and you are rewarded with a sound that seems to make you feel free, even if it's only for a small moment.

Visual Text

Revision 2013

A close up shot used to show the significance of the playing of music by Andy, it is used when Andy is pressing the button to turn on the speakers. This shows the importance of the fact that Andy chose to play the music through the speakers, it shows the importance of music to him and it made him feel free. Close up shots allow us to focus on certain objects/actions and not be distracted by the happenings around the main action. It brings deeper meaning to the object/action which is been shown. As soon as Andy pushes the button, it's the start of his freedom. A close up shot of Andy's face was also used to to show how in control Andy was when playing the music and he didn't have a care in the world. You can see the happiness and contentment in Andy's eyes when Warden Norton is banging on the door telling any to "Open up" but Andy ends up turning up the volume. Andy believes that nothing is as important than music and playing the song is worth anything in the world, a small taste of freedom and the outside world where he belongs.

Costume

Music

World connections

Darabont wanted to show how powerful music is and how it can make you feel. Although we don't understand what the ladies are singing about, it's still enough to affect the prisoners and make them feel "free"

When Andy turns on the music, all the prisoners stop and look up at the speakers at where the music is coming from. This shows that the fact that the music is in Italian, the sound spoke to them. It made the prisoners feel an inch of freedom. The sounds of the two Italian ladies singing was a symbol of hope and freedom and gives them something from the outside world to connect to. This shows that the prisoners can connect with things that belong in the outside world. It gives them hope that they could merge back into the outside world and not harm our community. It also shows the prisoners can still relate to the outside world even-though they may not be fully rehabilitated. They are on their way to freedom and they have found some freedom in the music.