Summaries of The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and Against the Wall Films - Movie Review Example

Compare three recent fictional movies (from the 1990s or 2000s) about prison Introduction Although Hollywood idealizes a prisoner as the wrongly accused and or murderer, there are some films that transcend the genre and become classics. This paper will discuss three recent fictional movies concerning prison. Prison experience will be discussed in this paper. I will base my attention on the quintessential examples of The Shawshank Redemption (1994), The Green Mile (1999), and Against the Wall (1994). In these three films, the aspect of the death penalty is clearly highlighted. This raises questions on whether this form of punishment ought to be considered. Moreover, the aspect that led to the selection of the films is that they were setting is almost entirely within a prison facility. This means that the films can be described as prison films. The mentioned films will be analysed critiquing the topic of the death penalty, intertwining this with the architectural and visual outlook of prisons. These films exist in the following frames: (1) Guilty victim that is reformed to build empathy as demonstrated in The Shawshank Redemption (1994) (2) The fight to save an innocent victim as evident in The Green Mile (1999) and (3) Critique of capital punishment in the subtext Against the Wall (1994). In all films, the theme of retribution is seen when all main characters are sent to prison for their ill doings. In The Shawshank Redemption, Andy Dufresne was convicted for murdering his wife and lover in cold blood. In The Green Mile, retribution is evident at the start of the film when John Coffey is accused of murdering two girls (Magistrale & Palgrave Connect (Online service), 2008). In the movie Against the Wall, the theme of retribution is evident when Michael Smith is seen at the beginning of the movie. This implies that he performed a criminal act to get in prison initially. The justice restored version of The Shawshank Redemption shows that it will not be every day that prisoners will lose, sometimes they win. This is evident when Andy and Red achieved redemption in the film. The technique The Green Mile uses is admission of guilt, establishing individual responsibility as well as redemption. This is evident when Paul Edgecomb comes to realise that John Coffery is innocent, and he also possess divine healing powers. This highlights the theme of the possibility of ending the life of an innocent being (Wilson & O'Sullivan, 2004). The Shawshank Redemption portrays a prison as a place which harbours individuals. This addresses the themes of rehabilitation and reintegration. The theme of reintegration is seen when the old man Brooks Hatlen commits suicide in a halfway house by hanging himself based on the fact that he is an ‘institutionalized man’; and has become useless to the society. Rehabilitation and release-procedures are seen as long-drawn-out and a phony procedure. This points that the criminal justice system is not doing its work as expected. This is evident in the scene Red has his request rejected several times and how he ultimately decides to stand up to the parole committee (In Jacobsen, 2014; Magistrale & Palgrave Connect (Online service, 2008). Against the Wall shows reality and justice in the prison system. This film shows that although prisoners are abused and voiceless in an omnipotent system, they can stand up for themselves. The aspect of violence is seen in this film in the scene where there is a prison riot sparked by bad prison management and lack of inhumane existence between the guards and prisoners. In addition, Against the Wall (1994) shows how the prisoners desired to free themselves from the unjust punishment imposed. These prisoners, therefore, seek redemption in the face of extraordinarily cruel circumstances and seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Personal redemption is, therefore, exhibited by the rowdy prisoners in the quest of justice from the wrong arms of corruption and oppression. Research questions The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile (1999), and Against the Wall spark the following questions: 1. Is death row an image of justice? 2. Is the criminal justice system fair? 3. Is the execution a just punishment or is it cruel? 4. Are all criminal guilty of what they are charged for? 5. Why do blacks makeup a high percentage of criminals on death row? 6. What is the outlook of prisons? Methodology I conducted the research via the use of primary and secondary sources. I used the sources to gain relevant information. Watching the films was the basis of primary information source. Books and movie reviews were the basis of secondary sources. The intent was to analyse the film contents. Critical systematic exploitation of collateral texts for films was conducted. The questions which founded the backbone for this section includes: what information do these texts provide concerning film content and how is it expressed? The intent was to determine the ideological meaning behind the film. This implies the message that the film was trying to bring out. This involved a critical analysis of the characters as well as the actions. A contextualist approach was applied to analyse the films. This includes a psychological approach in identifying the plot elements. Data was collected in the form of note taking and observation. Results The mentioned films trigger a dialogue of the debate concerning capital punishment as well as the criminal justice system and its actions in enforcing the law. This implies that the mentioned films generally have opened the doorway in the addressing of issues essential for the key knowledge of prisons (Wilson & O'Sullivan, 2004). In all films, the advocates serve as an identifier between the audiences and the pseudo-protagonist. This serves as a visual frame and perspective via which the target audience judges the murderer. Moreover, it is evident that most films centring on the death penalty involves a high percentage of Blacks. Clearly, racial issues surround capital punishment The Green Mile clearly shows us the view of a wrongly accused Black man (In Jacobsen, 2014). Cynical politics behind capital punishment in regard is race is evident in The Green Mile in the scene where the guards allowed inmates to pass on with dignity and sympathy. This brings out the theme of empathy (In Jacobsen, 2014). Clearly, prison is a horrible place to be; as they are meant as a deterrent. Horrors and inhumane acts take place in prisons as evident in the films. The Green Mile, The Shawshank Redemption, and Against the Wall (1994) reveal the quality of people confined within the prison walls. Moreover, emotions of prisoners are affected as they are wandering beings with no place to call home; thus the despair of their souls imprisons the body. Moreover, Against the Wall (1994) shows that the prison system abuses the prisoners. This brings about questions if the prisoners have rights (Wilson & O'Sullivan, 2004). Conclusion All in all, the mentioned films fit a general thematic structure of prison life. The morality of revenge is evident in the films. Moreover, empathy for inmates on death row is felt in these films. Therefore, the cruel verdict of state execution as well as the politics behind capital punishment is evident in the films. Thus, deterrence and jury behaviour must be under constant scrutiny. A keen analysis of all films depicts different criminology relevant themes like crime, violence, despair, bonds of friendship, prison life, justice, punishment, corruption, freedom, and human hope. All in all, the films contain excellent narrative detail on how inmates continuously struggle to maintain human dignity and meaning in a universe filled with oppression, corruption, injustice, and arbitrarily inflicted violence. Thus, the representation of the prison in films is clear from the films. References In Jacobsen, M. H. (2014). The poetics of crime: Understanding and researching crime and deviance through creative sources. Magistrale, T., & Palgrave Connect (Online service). (2008). The films of Stephen King: From Carrie to Secret window. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Wilson, D., & O'Sullivan, S. (2004). Images of incarceration: Representations of prison in film and television drama. Winchester, U.K: Waterside Press. Read More