10/12 Shawshank Redemption- Red

In his deep, omnipresent timbre, Ellis “Red” Redding narrates, “I have to remind myself that some birds aren't meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright. And when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up does rejoice. But still, the place you live in is that much more drab and empty that they're gone.” This is one of the character’s signature quotes at the end of the movie Shawshank Redemption, and it describes him well. Red is more than just the deuteragonist and the narrator; he is the soul of the film. Quite literally, Red is given the nickname as a play on his last name and as an homage to his Irish heritage, a joke from the casting outside of the film. However, the name really doesn’t fit him at all. As a color, red evokes emotions of intense passion or rage; it is not mild. The character Red, on the other hand, is calm, sensible, and a confidante, especially for Andy. He is anything but intense or volatile.

By the time Andy comes, Red has the prison system locked down. Within, he is important because he’s the man who knows how to get things, but he also recognizes when to follow orders and be submissive with the guards. For Red, prison has become his inevitable reality. He knows every parole he will be rejected with no other means of leaving, so it would be futile to try and change the system. Those walls are his home now. Andy, though, manages to surprise Red from the very beginning, from losing his first bet on him to Andy asking for that rock hammer after a month, and he manages to keep surprising all the way to this elaborate escape. It isn’t until Andy comes that Red starts to see the world outside the prison walls again.

Red is vital because he represents the audience. We understand his fascination with the enigmatic Andy, and through his feelings and insights, we come to understand Andy better. A good example of this is when Red utters, “You could argue he'd done it to curry favor with the guards. Or, maybe make a few friends among us cons. Me, I think he did it just to feel normal again, if only for a short while.” Red seems to understand Andy better than anyone else, at least anyone in Shawshank. Therefore, we trust him. His narration throughout brings the story to life and makes it more relatable for the audience. Although the film revolves around Andy, he has a distant and almost aloof demeanor. As he says so himself, he is a closed book. Andy is intelligent; Red is wise. Red views his world with practicality but also an unusual vulnerability. It is only his feelings that are shared with us, and we come to identify and sympathize with him. Red personalizes the movie with feeling and emotion with each thought spoken. By filtering it through his eyes instead of Andy’s, the audience views the story in a much more intimate and rewarding way.