The Shawshank RedemptionstarBob Gunton, who played the prison’s Warden Norton, believes that one change made toStephen King’s original novella helped to improve the movie. One of the greatest examples of how a good movie will always rise to the top, even if it is not appreciated on its initial release,The Shawshank Redemptionis often found atthe top of many “best movie” lists. The film is also regarded as one of the greatest adaptations of King’s work to boot, and in a recent appearance onThe Kingcast podcast, Gunton explained one change made by director Frank Darabont that helped elevate the story of hope to a new level.
The Shawshank Redemption
In King’s original novella,Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, which appears in hisDifferent Seasonscollection, Andy Dufresne (played in the movie impeccably by Tim Robbins) has to suffer his time in Shawshank under the watchful eye of three different wardens. However, Darabont saw the merit in compiling these three antagonists into one nasty piece of work for Andy to finally get the better of at the end of the movie. Gunton said:
“Yes, and I think that was, for me anyway, Frank Darabont’s coup. He saw, and I certainly agree, that to have a hero be at his best, he has to defeat the antagonist at his worst. To dilute that with three different personalities, then it would just be kind of vaguely against the penal system or something else.
But having one guy live 20 years, with the two of them, and actually in fairly close quarters, was, I think, a stroke of genius. It made this a metaphor rather just a wonderfully-told story. Andy is the light, Warden is the dark, and the dark seeks to control the light. And the light flickers and then is reborn in the darkness.”
Why The Shawshank Redemption is Rightfully Considered a Classic Movie
Despite being a tepid performer at the box office, and criminally missing out on many awards, The Shawshank Redemptionbrings out the one aspect of Stephen King’s work that is often overlooked in favor of monsters and horror: the human spirit. Whether the story features a rabid dog, a haunted hotel, or the end of the world, King’s stories always have a study of human resilience and heart at their core.
In a prison drama such asThe Shawshank Redemption, this human aspect became the full focus of the story and, in turn, the film adaptation. This tale of hope in adversity, a fight against oppression, and the redemption that comes at the end of it, is one that eventually came to the attention of audiences through its home video release, and a strong word-of-mouth that continued to grow over the years until it put the movie in its rightful place as one of the greatest of all time.
9 Mistakes That Made it Into The Shawshank Redemption
Even a near-perfect film like The Shawshank Redemption is bound to have a few flaws.
Recentlycelebrating its 30th anniversary, the story and themes ofThe Shawshank Redemptioncontinue to be as relevant as ever, ensuring that the legacy of the film lives on into another generation. Whether it would have been quite as impactful without Frank Darabont’s small but important change, we will never know, but it certainly helped many root for Andy Dufresne just that little bit more.
The Shawshank Redemptionis currently available to rent from usual platforms.
