Mise en scene, simply put, is everything placed in the scene (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014).  Not to be forgotten is the actor (whether male or female).  The actor is often one of the most memorable aspects of miss en scene in any movie.  There are undoubtedbly other enduring aspects (the setting, a prop like a light saber for instance, or a costume) but of all of these, acting is the most prominent.

I will highlight three actors from The Shawshank Redemption, listed below and then followed by their most appropriate acting category:

Tim Robbins:  Interpretor

Morgan Freeman:  Wild Card

Bob Gunton:  Character

Tim Robbins was challenged with portraying a man falsely imprisoned.  Not just a man, but a successful man, not accustomed to a criminal life style and in no way ready for prison life.  He played the role of Andy Dufresne.  The film was an adaptation from a Stephen King short story and Robbins was left to “interpret” the role of Andy.  For instance, watch Andy during his transport to the prison; when he gets off the bus and then walks towards the building.  He has most definitely captured the essence of an innocent man well beyond his element.  Robbins displays the wonder, fear and alienation that Andy likely felt that day.  Robbins could only have accomplished this by offering us his interpretation of how an innocent man would enter prison.

Morgan Freeman, on the other hand, has played many different kinds of roles.  In this film, he is somewhat a fatherly figure to some of the inmates, but most importantly he becomes a close friend of Andy’s.  He also provides narration throughout the film.  Freeman’s voice is one that is easily identifiable, so much so that we often hear it on commercials.  While this might lend some to believe that he would fall into the “character” category, that couldn’t be farther from the truth.  Freeman is in a league of his own when it comes to acting ability, and he displayed this very well in this film.  Watch the following clip and see for yourself:

Freeman (as “Red”) convinces the viewer that he doesn’t care about geting paroled; but he does care.  Even though he walks in with his lips pursed, his eyes tell a story of hope.  His desire to speak with his “younger” self also tells that story.  And then magically, he is out.  Again, his eyes tell the story; is is truly amazed at what freedom feels like.  Yet years later he will play a cult style leader of a post-apocapluptic world in the film Oblivion, and he will do so convincingly.  He is acting prowess allows him to venture from Drama, to Sci-Fi, to even comedy (Bruce Almighty).

Bob Gunton is a true character actor.  In The Shawshank Redemption he plays the prison warden.  A recurring role which he performs well.  However, Gunton, though clearly recognizable, has never achieved “star” status like Robbins and Freeman.  Gunton has spent time between both the small screen and big screen.  The list of television shows he’s been in appear to be greater than the number of films he’s acted in.  There is no doubt that he is an excellent actor, but based on his filmography (including television) it would appear that he is sough out (or seeks out) very specific roles – dominant male type roles.

My actor of focus, Morgan Freeman, does not have to worry about being “typecast” or only being placed in movies that cater to specific roles he would enforce.  Take for instance his role in the film Red, where he becomes an eldery action hero, or the aforementioned movie Oblivion, where he plays Beech, a leader of a rebel group that confronto the protagonist, Tom Cruise.  Freeman has been able to adapt his acting to any genre and in each has excelled where only a very few handful of actors have been able to excel.

References:

Goodykoontz, B. & Jacobs, C.P., (2014). Film: From Watching to Seeing, 2^nd ed. Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

imdb.com, (2015).  Shawshank Redemption Andy entrance.  Retrieved from:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mR8hHqDygYQ

imdb.com, (2015). Memorable scenes: Shawshank Redemption morgan freeman-red is free from prison-best scene.  Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWQYVYvoqDA

For many reasons, the Wizard of Oz is one of the most recognized film in history.  At the time, it’s drastic presentation in color was groundbreaking.  However, it lives on with recent generations due to it’s incredible music (and likely the nostalgia that creates!).  Take for instance Judy Garland singing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”.  This song evokes only one memory when one hears it; The Wizard of Oz.  In addition, it speaks to a young girl’s questions about her future and what it holds as well as her aspirations of what lies ahead for her.  Listen for yourself:

It’s soon into the movie when the music accentuates the approaching twister.  By increasing in magnitude, the score leaves no doubt that Dorothy is increasing danger.  Without the score, the suspense would be much less.  The viewer would simply see Dorothy struggling against a twister that may or may not endanger herself and Toto.

There were many prounounced themes woven into the movie.  In some instances, like Dorothy singing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” the sound is soft and contemplative.  When Dorothy gets sucked up into the twister the score is dynamic and somewhat exciting.  This particular piece of the score occurs throughout the movie in various scenes, connecting all of the wonderment of Dorothy’s experience together.  The score is greatly responsible for setting the tone or attitude of particular themes.  Whether the delight Dorothy experiences when first experiencing Munchkinland to the doom music played when the Wicked Witch arrives, the score leaves the viewer no doubt about what is happening in the movie.

When it comes to specific sounds, I would quickly defer to the evil laugh of the Wicked Witch of the West:

http://www.soundboard.com/sb/wicked_witch

Anyone remotely close to the movie will instantly recognize this as her cackle!  There are other sounds like the singing of the witch’s castle guards, the high pitched voices of the munchkins and the sound of the wicked witch of the west flying on her broomstick that are clearly representative of the movie.

For the era in which it was produced, I think the staff did an excellent job with the sound.  Technology was not so far advanced, yet the film staff were able to create sounds and dialougue, coupled with a great score, that was purely indivudualistic to the film.

References:

soundboard.com, (2015).  Wicked witch of the west.  Retrieved from:  https://www.soundboard.com/sb/wicked_witch

youtube.com, (2015).  Somewhere over the rainbow – the wizard of oz (1/8) Movie CLIP 1939 (HD).  Retrieved from:  

Title:                  The Shawshank Redemption

Writer:               Stephen King & Frank Darabont

Director:            Frank Darabont           

Major Actors:    Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman & Bob Gunton

Release Year:    1994

The Shawshank Redemption was a major motion picture released in 1994, adapted from the book written by Stephen King titled, “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption”, published in 1982 in a book containing many other short stories by King (goodreads.com, 2015).

The setting is the Shawshank Prison located in Maine, USA.  Andy Dufresne (played by Tim Robbins) is jailed for the murder of his wife and her lover, though Dufresne maintains his innocence throughout his stay at the prison.  Dufresne becomes friends with fellow inmate Ellis Redding (played by Morgan Freeman), who goes by the nickname Red.  The movie chronicles the challenges that Dufresne faces as he tries to adapt to the taxing life of prison as well as the relationships he makes along the way (primarily with Red).  Dufresne is one of the few inmates who was educated and successful outside of prison (he was a banker prior to being sentenced to prison).  He begins helping other inmates and eventually earns the trust of Warden Sam Norton (played by Bob Gunton).  During this time Andy becomes aware of money laundering occurring under Warden Gunton’s direction.

The film also focuses on the lives of some of the other inmates.  One of note is that of the prison librarian, Brooks Halten.  Brooks becomes more and more fearful of the end of his sentence as he is faced with trying to adjust to life outside of his cell.  He is so afraid that he threatens the life of another inmate just so that he can avoid being paroled.  The parole board ends up approving Brooks’ parole, but Brooks quickly commits suicide after the film shows how he will be unable to make the adjustment to life outside of prison.

Eventually Andy is made aware of a witness to the crime he was sent to prison for.  However, Warden Norton, well aware that Andy is privy to the crimes he’s committing, denies even considering Andy’s new information.  Andy had been working on an escape tunnel and ends up successfully escaping Shawshank.  After this, through some very careful planning, Andy succeeds in revealing all of the corruption that had been occurring at the Shawshank Prison.

This film was presented in Chronological fashion.  In my opinion, presenting this film chronologically was the perfect choice.  The reason that Andy was in prison needed to be established early on.  The end of the movie involved a little bit of a different play on this though as the focus was on Andy’s actions to expose the corruption.  The director used cut-away scenes to highlight the goings-on at the prison as a result of the crimes Andy revealed.  Regardless, unless an audience member read the book, the film was not very predictable.  There could have been many eventualities and Andy’s escape was, for him, a huge victory, resulting in his “redemption” when after exposing the warden.

My favorite scene follows (“…every last man at shawshank felt free.”)

References:

goodreads.com, (2015).  Different Seasons.  Retrieved from:        http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39662.Different_Seasons

imdb.com, (2015).  The Shawshank Redemption.  Retrieved from:  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111161

youtube.com (2015).  The Shawshank Redemption Opera Scene.  Retreived from:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzuM2XTnpSA