Sh♥wsh♥nk

[dorinda]

The Shawshank Redemption was on AMC last night, and I left it on while doing other things--even though I don't usually like to watch that particular movie on commercial TV, because of all the cuts. It was interesting to see how much less is being cut these days, which made it a much better viewing experience. They still cut out (or, more usually, blipped with silence) words like "asshole" (I bet if they ran it on FX they wouldn't have to do that), but they left in lines like "The colossal prick even managed to sound magnanimous." Which I appreciate, especially because of the way Red spits that word out.

Coincidentally, I also re-read the novella very recently. And seeing the movie right afterward reminded me of what a terrific adaptation job it is. I think they made great choices about what to choose, how to tighten it up and raise the stakes (what happens to Bogs, for instance, and to Tommy)... Not to mention the change of having Red be a Black man, which brings the (to my mind, fannish-style *g*) addition of a new bit of backstory (i.e. his real name, which we don't learn in the book) to explain the nickname, whereas in the book it's apparently just because he has red hair. And it lets him have that great deadpan moment with Andy, "Maybe it's because I'm Irish." Great stuff.

And man. That movie is SO ROMANTIC. Unabashed love story. It isn't that I forget, really, but I suppose by this time, having seen it a lot, I never quite expect to still be sitting there watching it all *chinhands* with my face like ♥______♥ by the end.

Comments

[klia]

Srsly, I've seen it more times than I can remember, and I still have little pink hearts in my eyes at the end every single time I rewatch. I think it might be partly to do with the fact that so many of my favorite movie couples don't make it to the end alive, so I'm always very \o/ when they do. *g*

[dorinda]

Yes! I was just thinking about that today; for some reason this morning a previous discussion we had about the awesomeness/tragedy of so many slashy movies came to my mind. Because a lot of times there will be great characters in an increasingly-close relationship, and then it feels like the movie panics at the end and needs to make sure we don't feel...consummated. *g* So, somebody has to crash his plane. HMF.

But here, we don't even have to stop when the novella stops! (With Red's line, "I hope.") Instead of leaving us on the shot of the bus driving into the distance or something, we actually get to go to Zihuatanejo! And I am all \o/ ! Ahhh, bless these moviemakers.

[klia]

OMG, your icon!

*is distracted for a very long time*

Ahem -- back to the discussion at hand... *g*

then it feels like the movie panics at the end and needs to make sure we don't feel...consummated. *g* So, somebody has to crash his plane. HMF.

Consummated is exactly the right sentiment. It's ridiculous to me that so many writers and filmmakers seem have issues with two male characters being THAT close unless one of them dies. And if there are planes involved, well, we both know death is almost a given. *sniff*

Instead of leaving us on the shot of the bus driving into the distance or something, we actually get to go to Zihuatanejo! And I am all \o/ ! Ahhh, bless these moviemakers.

YES! Bless them for actually deciding to show that Red made it down to Zihuatanejo and was reunited (so warmly -- *sigh*) with Andy! I wonder if they realize just what a bold and rare choice they made?

[arduinna]

Clearly it's in rotation right now, because a few weeks ago I caught a few minutes in the middle, then kept an eye out and managed to catch the last 2/3 of it or so a few days later.

That ending just makes me so happy. ♥