Journeys Case

Usually when we hear that someone is about to undertake a journey, our first reaction is to ask ‘where are you going?’ Where you are going isn’t necessarily always the most important aspect, in fact it is more about the process of the journey itself rather than arriving at the destination. From the very beginning to beyond its completion, a journey is a rich experience in which one can gain great insight, knowledge and learn valuable lessons about themselves and the world that surrounds them. The prescribed texts ‘Shawshank Redemption’ by Frank Darabont, the poem ‘Immigrants at central station’ by Peter Skreznecki and the feature article ‘Camino de Santiago’ by Leigh Slatter are all examples of individuals who have undertaken a journey of some sort and gained a broader understanding of themselves and their surroundings through the experiences they undertook and challenges they faced rather than the destination they arrived at.

‘Shawshank Redemption’ is a film based on the incarceration of highly educated banker and more importantly innocent man named Andy du Fresne. Du Fresne is accused and subsequently jailed for the murder of his wife and her lover. It is in these unforgiving walls that we are introduced to the journey that awaits Andy. The journey is represented in the film through various techniques such as colours, symbols, symmetry and camera angles; it is through these that the film gains a deeper meaning. Shawshank prison itself, is a symbol of obstacles that one might encounter in their daily lives therefore, it immediately presents itself as a setting where someone like Andy will have to revaluate his beliefs and ultimately learn from his experiences. The use of a bird’s eye view shot enhances the sombre prison building as it is contrasted against the miniscule figures of the prisoners. The colours blue and grey are predominate in this sequence as are shadows and darker lightning which all set the atmosphere