Shawshank Redemption Analysis

The film ‘Shawshank Redemption’ uses a number of editing techniques to make it appealing to the target audience. It fits in to a few sub-genres of a thriller which helps the narrative move forward. Below is the clip that I will be analysing to find out how genre and editing have effected it.

Sub-Genres of the Thriller      

Like most thriller movies, the ‘Shawshank Redemption’ fits into more than one thriller sub-genre, this is because of its complex narrative. The sub-genres that the film is in (judging from this clip) are:

• Crime Thriller
• Drama Thriller

Crime Thriller

The ‘Shawshank Redemption’ falls into the sub-genre category of a crime thriller. This is because the narrative is based on prison life and how the protagonist copes when he is sent to prison for committing the murder of his wife and her lover. The narrative is set in a prison, use of mise en scene helps to achieve the required atmosphere during the plot, for example; costume and props. The film is a hybrid of both crime and drama genres, but the narrative focuses on the criminals as the protagonists rather than the policemen. ‘Shawshank Redemption’ places emphasis on the action taking place rather then on psychological abnormalities and gore, which adds to the reasoning in why the thriller is in the crime genre.

Drama Thriller

This sub-genre states that the film would have a hybrid of both thriller and dramatic elements in it. This is true for the ‘Shawshank Redemption’ as the narrative focuses a lot on the protagonist and on each central character’s background. The film involves a lot of character development and plot twists in its narrative because it helps to create suspense for the viewer. The film comes under the dramatic genre because it fits the criteria for that sub-category.

Editing Techniques in the Clip

The clip above uses a large amount of editing and sound techniques in its opening sequence, I am going to analyse them below.

The first editing technique that is used is an L-cut, this is used with both diegetic and non-diegetic sound which is synchronous to the on screen action. As the titles begin, we can hear the non-diegetic sound of music playing – the song is ‘If I didn’t Care’ and was written by Jack Lawrence but performed by The Ink Spots. The song begins as non-diegetic, but an L-cut is cleverly used as the images appear on screen, the sound flicks to being diegetic as it is playing on the protagonists radio. This technique is used to link continuity within the film and to faze the opening credits into the actual beginning of the film.

The film continues with an establishing shot of the area which leads to a close up of the central protagonist’s face, this shows the audience where the character is and will be used to build sympathy later on. At this point, the camera is panning across the scene in a smooth action which fits to the pace of the music and helps to enhance the mise en scene the director is creating.

The next major editing technique that is used is called an eye line match, this technique is where the camera cuts from a character to a point of view shot of what the character has been looking at. In the clip, this is used when the protagonist is shown in a close up shot to be looking at and reaching towards something  and then the next shot is a point of view eye line shot of the characters hand taking something from the glove box. This technique is used to link sequences together and to reveal enigmas about the prospective plot, it also makes the audience feel as though they are part of the narrative and that they are involved.

At 1:41, there is a high angle used to show the audience exactly what the protagonist is doing, the shot forces the audience to focus on the gun and also on the huge element of mise en scene that the prop is displaying. The sequence here follows continuity as it doesn’t jump around or the gun doesn’t change positions for example. The high angle is almost an over the shoulder shot of the action but this is not used because by being used as it is, the prop is center of the screen and therefore most important.

A match cut is used at 1:51 when the bottle that the protagonist is holding changes to his face in the next shot. This type of editing allows the flow of continuity to be more smooth and effective. The shots together convey the idea that the protagonist is getting more and more drunk throughout the scene, this wouldn’t have been as obvious without the use of the match cut.

The next technique that has been used in the clip is another L-cut, the L-cut technique is where there is sound before action, for example speech can be heard but the images may appear after a few seconds. The L-cut editing technique occurs at 1:59 and the speech is diegetic, being made by the judge at the protagonists trial. The L-cut allows the scene to dramatically change but it is linked in with the previous shot, this prevents viewers becoming confused by the narrative and allows them to maintain interest in the plot.

Juxtaposition is used to a great effect at 2.00. Here, the viewer sees two contrasting images of the protagonist – in the car, and in the court room. In the first image, he looks generally scruffy and worn out, his hair is a mess and his tie is loose. In the next image that the audience sees there is a complete change; he is in a smart suit, his hair is neat, and his tie is formal. The use of contrasting images here jusxapososes the scenes, we can see how the different environments have caused a change in formalities – these help to create a mise en scene which the viewer can relate to.

At 2:15, the shots help to establish a mise en scene for the viewer. The shot changes from a close up of the protagonist to a point of view mid shot of the lawyer, here, the technique that is used is an eye-line match from the central character. The technique shows the viewer where the protagonist is, what is happening and what he has been looking at, again making references to the mise en scene in costume, props and setting. The technique helps the viewer to associate themselves with the action on screen, so that they can follow the narrative that occurs.

The editing technique called a cutaway is used at 2:45, here we see a clip of the protagonist’s wife and her lover together. The shot flicks away from the main action and then flicks back to the courtroom. This serves as a flashback to the narrative and forms a linear narrative – where events happen in a storyline in chronological order. The flashback is only a momentary interruption of the main scene, defining the cutaway technique.

There is a non diegetic sound of music that is played in the background (incidental music), this has the effect of linking the scenes together and establishing tension and suspense.

A mirroring, graphic match technique is used at 3:06, we see the protagonist’s face in the center of the screen and then the next shot is of the gun which is also in the center of the screen. The effect is defined as; where two different objects are dissolved from one to another, usually the same colour or shape. At this point, the gun is obviously not the same colour or shape as the protagonist’s head but the technique represents a link between the character and the gun, creating a possible enigma.

At 4:01, there is a panning reaction shot of the crowd as they watch the case unravel, the shot is a straight cut from the previous shot and reveals what the public are thinking about the protagonist. Over this pan, there is a sound bridge of the lawyer’s voice talking to the protagonist. The shot and editing technique intensifies isolation for the central character, the sound bridge smoothes cuts between shots and creates interest during the dialogue sequence.

The film ‘Shawshank Redemption’ features a wide range of editing and sound techniques. It uses these to an effect of establishing a mise en scene and a complex narrative. The effects have been used well – they enhance the viewer’s enjoyment of the film and display the narrative in the best possible way.