Hope

Plot
Most movies, and by most i mean virtually every, that are adapted from book to film have many significant differences and plot holes that are actually vital to the story. Thank the Lord that this was an exception to that trend! the movie was nearly identical to the story, the only notable differences being title, what happened to the guy that told Andy about the truth of his wife's death, and the order in which we discovered Andy's trial. Quite frankly if anything else was changed this story would not have the impact that it does. The sheer emotion that is shown truly shows what little emotion the story lacked. A key differnce not stated above that made me truly appreciate this work was the scene where andy made his escape. The story refused to mention his stealing the wardens clothes and the unvailing of the corruption in the prison to the press. Did anybody else get goosebumbs when andy ripped his shirt off in the rain and laughed?? i know i did. that quick, sign of happiness emphasizes the true nature of what freedom means.

Point of veiw
In both works Red is narrating the action that is taking place. The great part about the book is that for most of the time the reader forgets that Red is even speaking. King did an incredible job of making the reader feel like they were actually there as these events unfolded. a incredible parrallel between the two works is that the movie has the same effect. the action is occuring, and only intermetitly does Red have a noticeable interjection. This sense of experience the reader/viewer experiences is what makes these works universal, timeless, and so powerful the reader/veiwer wishes to kneel down and weep. the human spirit can emphasze with nearly all experiences, and King just saved the trouble of filling in some of the details to make this sense seem more lifelike than any other ever could.

Characterization
Wow i pictured Andy and Red extremely differeently. Freeman was the only actor that could play that role, first off. But i neverreally gave him a face becasue his job as the narrator sets him apart from the other characters, so no physical example is needed for him. Andy, however, is described i nthe book as being short and having glasses, and several other features. in the movie, he is tall and almost looks normal. definatly not the image of the banker that i had imagined. but their character and personality is still all the same, which is the key to this story. they still seem like normal people, even thoguh Andy is given a legendary status. The humanity makes this work so universal, which truly makes it one of the best works of literature and art ever conceived.

Setting
not really sure what to put here. Setting is setting, and the setting never changed. They are still in prison in the same time period. there really is NO difference at all in this topic. the movie makes it seem more definate the images, but is it worth it? althoguh the images of scenerary is better shown in the movie, the novel seems to make it seem more... real. The imagination that is required makes the reader imagine a place that they can make real, that makes the story seem more real. this emphisizes the universality of this work.

Theme
Hope. hope is key to life. well hope and love i should say. Those two key terms are what define our humanity and our life. without the two we have no life. Red could have left andy alone, could have never spoken to him. Andy could have let Red die of a suicidal death after prison, but becasue of their love i nthe prison and hope outside, they manage to stay alive. The movie and novel equally do an incredible job of showing this codependance and relationship between the two characters, which make their legend truthful. they manage to do what many can not do. trust another person with their life. this is why they are legends.