MovieChat Forums > The Shawshank Redemption (1994) Discussion > Wasn't Red too great of a guy?

Wasn't Red too great of a guy?

posted 5 years ago by Heisenberg (6730)
40 replies | jump to latest

I guess it was one point of the movie, to portray inmates as human beings and not just criminals.
Still, he's a middle aged murderer in the fifties. How wise could he be? How intelligent or understanding or human could he be?
Prison usually makes people worse, bringing out all they need to survive in such a harsh confinement. Why is he such a great guy?

Pluse they got Freeman in super likeable mode, he's not a hint a son of a bitch, scoundrel or even a bit naughty. He couldn't be more straight and decent than that. Isn't that too rosy?

[–] [deleted] 4 years ago

I think he went into his cell that first day thinking he'd never get out and wanted to make the best of it. Given his crime, his race and the times the film takes place in he probably wasn't likely for parol. He knew he was there for a while and wanted to live as good a life as possible given the circumstances. If you were surrounded with the same people for decades you'd probably start seeing them as family pretty quickly too.

Maybe he tried to be a hard ass and got knocked down a few times and realized he wasn't going to make it as a cell block heavy. Who knows. I guess most people with a chip on their shoulder don't do well in prison unless they have the strength to back it up.

[–] Heisenberg (6730) 4 years ago

That's a great backstory. I wish some of the awfulness that we see happening to Andy brought out Red's worse side from that past,whatever that might be.

Red acts like an asshole the first time he sees Andy and takes bets with the other inmates. I wish that trait was explored more, it kept him more real and less idolized, but after those bets it's dropped and never mentioned again.

[–] GreenGoblinsOck8 (7991) 4 years ago

If you want to see Morgan Freeman as a really evil criminal check out the movie Street Smart starring him and Christopher Reeve. It actually got him his first Oscar nom.