The Shawshank Redemption is a good film that features strong performances, excellent direction, and a script that exposes the subtleties of life inside prison walls (normally ignored by the public). “Red” is a frank, honest narrator who gains the sympathy of the audience. There are some spectacular shots that simulate the perspective of a third party observer, perhaps, who knows what goes on inside Shawshank Prison but doesn’t wish to intervene.
Patient pacing shows how Andy Dufresne overcomes his personal demons and beats and unjust system over the course of nineteen years. The film is no fairy tale — every time that Andy takes two steps forward on his journey fate forces him to take one backwards. Easily available and shown on T.B.S. about thrice a month.
Les 400 coups mise en scène par François Truffaut est aussi un bon film. Shot in black and while with hand held cameras, it stands out from other films produced in studioes at the time. Some scenes are comical, other tragic. Truffaut paints a compelling picture of a youth trying to find his way in post-war Paris.
Like the Shawshank Redemption, Les 400 coups turns the tables by making an outcast the hero and an authority figure the villain. Perhaps linking the two films is a bit of a non-sequitor; perhaps not. They share a first person perspective, some themes about adversity, keep the interest of the audience throughout and can be rented from Bay Street Video.