The Shawshank Redemption is still regarded as one of the great films of all time, and it has some great statements on life, hope, and liberation. Sha
The Shawshank Redemption has stood the test of time as one of the greatest films ever created. It remains, by far, the greatest adaptation of any of Stephen King’s works. It’s a strong showcase for both writer and director Frank Darabont (who would later adopt King’s The Green Mile and The Mist) and famed cinematographer Roger Deakins.
The film is also full of fantastic lines, despite being nominated for seven Academy Awards and being robbed in every category. Many were taken straight from King’s novella, while several were penned by Darabont himself. In any case, they are inspiring, authentic, and typically delivered in a brutally gorgeous manner. These are the 13 Greatest Shawshank Redemption quotes that give life another meaning.
A true feel-good film, its undercurrent of optimism keeping us buoyant, knowing that better is on the way for someone like Andy Dufresne, and it is. From the tired Red to the youthful, refreshing Tommy to the dishonest Warden Norton, all of the characters are wonderfully developed.
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The finest part is that this film helps you believe in hope. It has high points, such as when Andy emerges from the tunnel and into the rain or when a hopeful Red joins Andy once he’s free.
“I Tell You Those Voices Soared Higher And Farther Than Anybody In A Gray Place Dares To Dream”
It was as if a magnificent bird flew into our drab little prison and disintegrated those walls. For the briefest of seconds, every solitary man at Shawshank felt Redemption.
“This was one of the most beautiful and important passages in the whole film, and that’s saying a lot. Andy was a model prisoner, which meant he gained advantages that the others did not. While in the Warden’s office, he locked the guard in the restroom and played opera over the prison speakers for all to hear. Everything else faded away for the inmates, giving them a brief moment of glorious freedom.
“That’s The Beauty Of Music, They Can’t Get That From You.”
Andy is, of course, punished for his misbehavior after his moment of defiance in which he sang opera for the entire jail. So, once he has finished his term in solitary confinement and visits his friend, Red, he confesses why he did it again.
This is his reaction, and he explains that it has everything to do with hope, which is a major subject throughout the film. Andy’s hope cannot be taken away by the jail, which is what the music depicts.
“I Like To Think The Last Thing That Went Through His Head Other Than That Bullet…”
“…was how the hell that Andy Dufrense got the best of him.” Andy Dufrense, especially his good companion Red, was a beacon of hope for all of the convicts at Shawshank. So it’s no surprise that witnessing Andy get one over on the iconic prison warden, culminating in the guy taking his own life before they could arrest him after the film, became an unforgettable scene in the film.
That is, without a doubt, what was going through the Warden’s mind immediately before he took his own life.
“That’s Where I Want To Live The Rest Of My Life — A Warm Place With No Memory”
Most inmates fantasize about what they would or would do if they were released one day. So, of course, Andy had a specific dream if that happened to him, and it had to do with the Pacific.
“Do you know what the Mexicans say about the Pacific?” he asks Red. It is said to have no memory.” He goes on to say that’s precisely what he wants for himself, “a comfortable environment with no memories.”
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“Every Man Has His Breaking Point”
The phrase said by Red right before the scenario that leads to Andy’s escape plays out. There is no better way to explain Andy’s feelings right before escaping Shawshank and embarking on his new life.
He had just been subjected to solitary confinement at the hands of the Warden. He was now working for him in his office, where the Warden took full advantage of him. He was making snide remarks and driving Andy to the brink of insanity. Andy Dufrense, fortunately, escaped that night.
“They Send You Here For Life, And That’s Exactly What They Take”
“The part that counts, anyway.”
It’s difficult to visualize oneself in a scenario like life imprisonment while seeing The Shawshank Redemption. Knowing that they would never set foot outside of the prison walls is arguably one of the worst things that can happen to a person. This Shawshank Redemption quotes accurately expresses how I felt. The convicts of Shawshank are not housed within the jail. The place has seized their life, leaving them with nothing to do but wait out their sentences.
“I’m Telling You, These Walls Are Funny”
“First, you hate them. Then you get used to them. Enough time passes, it gets, so you depend on them. That’s institutionalized.”
Even still, a huge part of the tale of Shawshank Redemption is how the criminals have got so accustomed to the concept of being in jail that they can’t recall life outside of it. Red mentions in the film that prison life is all about regularity. For the convicts of Shawshank, life has just become a pattern of surviving through one day and live to see the next.
“Bad Luck, I Guess, It Floats Around”
“It’s got to land on somebody. It was my turn, that’s all. I was in the path of the tornado. I just didn’t expect the storm would last as long as it has.”
This sentence has a lyrical quality to it that sounds true. Like most of the speech in the film, the statement is virtually exactly lifted from Stephen King’s original novella, Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, and it shows. This is the type of discourse that King excels at.
It’s folksy, but there’s a lasting sense of sorrow about how, even though the circumstances that landed Andy in Shawshank were seemingly random, he felt picked out, as if all of that terrible luck was destined for him and him alone.
“The World Went And Got Itself In A Big Damn Hurry”
Brooks, the sweet elderly librarian who has spent about 50 years within Shawshank’s walls by the time Andy enters, is one of the film’s most sympathetic characters. He’s the first character we see being reintroduced into the world, and for a man who left in the 1900s, the world has changed dramatically.
Seeing Brooks’ life outside, along with the letter he delivers to the boys still in jail, provides the spectator an understanding of the challenges that await them even after they are released. This statement nicely captures how quickly the world changes, even if we don’t always believe it does.
“The Funny Thing Is, On The Outside, I Was An Honest Man”
One of the most frequently held beliefs about the prison system is that everybody who enters it just learns how to be a better criminal by the time they are out. Andy Dufresne enters as an honest and law-abiding citizen, even if the state does not believe he is. Still, it is inside the walls that he learns how to be a criminal.
He accepts the responsibility of laundering the Warden’s filthy money, ensuring that the government is never made aware. Of course, all of this comes in useful after Andy escapes, and he has a ready pseudonym with many bank accounts in his name.
“I Have To Remind Myself That Some Birds Aren’t Meant To Be Caged.”
This is one of the most devastating yet poignant lines in the film, and it is practically verbatim taken from King’s work. This sentence has a great deal of truth. Sure, we might be delighted when we let something lovely go free, but there is also a sense of grief in knowing that when it is gone, your own life seems empty.
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“There’s Not A Day Goes By I Don’t Feel Regret.”
Throughout the film, we witness Red apply for parole three times. The first two times, he does his best to offer what he believes to be the correct response, only to be refused, which he has sadly gotten accustomed to. Red’s third and last appearance before the parole board gives an honest explanation about how the remorse he feels is more about how his life has passed him by. All he is searching for now is redemption, not rehabilitation.
“Get Busy Living, Or Get Busy Dying.”
Of course, no collection of Shawshank Redemption quotes would be complete without this gem. It might be the one statement that anybody, even those unfamiliar with the film, has picked up on since its premiere in 1994. It’s a statement that, like “Here’s looking at you, child,” or “We’re going to need a bigger boat,” will live on in cinema history.
This line’s meaning is clear: you may either go through the motions and wait for something to happen, or you can make something happen for yourself. Its significance cannot be overstated.
This sentence about breaching his parole and traveling to Mexico is written by Red in the novella. Andy’s life is eventually taken back into his own hands in the film. In any case, it’s a powerful emotion.
