Didn't you say that we would lose money after filming?

The film review is still ongoing and has not been finished yet.

This film review is definitely an example of professional film review. Regardless of its advantages or disadvantages, it will be analyzed in detail from an extremely professional perspective.

[But in my opinion, the most shocking light and shadow design in the film appears in the rainstorm scene after Andy escapes from prison.

On a night of thunder and lightning, the strong light of lightning formed an extreme contrast with the darkness. The silhouette of Andy tearing off his shirt and howling to the sky was like a ceremony of rebirth under the lighting of lightning.

Director Xia Yuan used slow motion to capture every detail of the rain washing over the body, and combined with the majestic soundtrack, he vividly displayed the ecstasy of a person breaking free from the constraints of the system.

It is worth noting that this scene was actually shot in the cold winter. The actor, Xia Yuan himself, completed the performance in temperatures close to zero degrees. His professionalism is admirable and also created this classic shot that will be recorded in film history.

This makes people admire him. If Xia Yuan had chosen to be an actor instead of a director, he would definitely be a qualified actor.

The symbolic transformation of light and shadow is also remarkable, especially in Red's parole scene.

During the first two parole interviews, Red was under top light and his face was in heavy shadows, suggesting that he was still bound by the system; during the third interview, the light became even and soft, and Red's face was clearly visible, symbolizing that he had seen through the nature of the system and his mind was beginning to move towards freedom.

This subtle change in light and shadow quietly reveals the change in the character's inner state.

Then, in terms of camera language, the visual contrast between narrative and emotion is displayed, truly demonstrating the culmination of Xia Yuan's superb techniques.

Xia Yuan has always been a top director known for his camera language. Apart from his shortcoming of adding his own personal opinions to his works, the various profound meanings he conveys through the language of the camera are something that no other director can match.

This can be seen in a movie called "Let the Bullets Fly" which was released in Hanxia.

He demonstrated amazing expressiveness and narrative wisdom in "The Shawshank Redemption".

The film uses a third-person perspective combined with Reed's narration, allowing the camera to maintain an objective recording function while also being able to delve into the characters' inner world, forming a unique visual narrative style.

The film begins with a series of close-up shots showing Andy drinking and holding a gun in the car, accompanied by the low rhythm of the 1940s blues music "If I didn't care", conveying the protagonist's inner struggle and pain without any lines.

This choice of close-ups of details instead of straightforward narratives sets the film's implicit and tense visual tone. When Andy is found guilty, director Xia Yuan uses an overhead shot to present the courtroom scene, trivializing the protagonist Andy and suggesting the powerlessness of individuals in front of the judicial machine. This shot composition cleverly echoes the overhead shot of Andy enjoying the sunshine on the roof later, but conveys completely opposite emotions.

The scene in the middle of the film where Andy plays "The Marriage of Figaro" is a model of camera movement.

Director Xia Yuan first uses a close-up to show Andy's focused expression as he locks the radio room and plays the record. The camera then slowly pulls out and switches to a bird's-eye view of the prison square, and then uses a slow push-in shot to capture the close-ups of each prisoner's expression as they look up at the music.

This camera movement, combined with the sound and picture of the opera aria, creates a surreal and shocking effect, symbolizing that beauty and hope can penetrate the strongest walls.

The narration "Some birds can't be caged" makes this shot the highlight of the whole film, completing the perfect unity of audio-visual language. The use of contrast montage in the film is also excellent.

The parallel editing of Old Bull's suicide and Andy's escape from prison forms a strong contrast: on one side, Old Bull tremblingly carves "Old Bull was here" under the dim light, and the close-up of the dust falling on the wall implies the fall of life;

On the other side, Andy opens his arms in a "V" shape in the rainstorm, symbolizing victory and freedom. The juxtaposition of these two sets of shots not only strengthens the theme opposition of "institutionalization" and "anti-institutionalization", but also deepens the film's philosophical thinking about survival choices through visual contrast.

The film's camera rhythm is also commendable.

The daily life in prison mostly uses medium shots and fixed shots to create a dull and depressing atmosphere;

Key plots such as the prison break sequence use fast editing and dynamic shots to enhance the sense of tension.

Particularly worth mentioning is the scene where Andy crawls through a 500-yard sewer: the director alternately uses close-ups to show the details of Andy crawling in the filth and wide angles to show the length of the pipe, combined with the sound effects of rapid breathing, to create a suffocating sense of tension.

This change in shot rhythm makes the 156-minute film feel not lengthy at all, but full of dramatic tension.

The performance art of a master: a deep portrayal of the soul
The performances of the actors in "The Shawshank Redemption" injected soul into this classic. The character creation of Xia Yuan and Chu Zhongtian went beyond the text of the script and created unforgettable screen images.

This also highlights Xia Yuan's profound training of actors.

Xia Yuan personally portrayed the character of Andy, showing the banker's wisdom and tenacity with his restrained and layered performance.

There was always a controlled elegance to his body language—a straight back, a steady step, a sense of dignity even in the most hostile of circumstances.

This body design forms an interesting contrast with his actual behavior of digging tunnels and laundering money, and perfectly illustrates Reid's comment that "his pace and conversation are like those of an alien, like he is taking a walk in the park, carefree."

Chu Zhongtian's facial expressions are equally superb: the "strange smile" in the rooftop beer scene is mysterious and satisfied; the look of intoxication with his eyes closed when the opera is playing; the transformation of his eyes from hope to despair and then to determination when he discovers that the evidence of his injustice has been destroyed, conveying a complex psychological process without the need for lines.

Altus's Red is a perfect combination of narrative and performance. As the storyteller, Freeman uses his mellow and steady voice to give the narration a philosophical depth;
As a character, he showed the gradual awakening of an institutionalized prisoner through subtle changes in expression.

The contrast between the performances in the three parole interviews is particularly wonderful: the eagerness with tears in the first eyes, the resignation with dim hope in the second, and the detached calmness in the third, which show the changes in the character's mentality layer by layer.

Altus is particularly good at acting with his eyes - when Andy talked about his Pacific dream, Red's eyes flashed with confusion and worry; when he found out the truth about Andy's escape from prison, his face showed surprise and admiration; after being released on parole, he looked out the window with expectation and caution. These subtle expressions constitute the most moving moments of the character. 】

The film review directly includes multiple dimensions including light and shadow, camera language, and actor characterization!

All of a sudden, it caused a sensation across the United States! (End of this chapter)