The Shawshank Redemption (刺激1995)

When I watched Jimmy O. Yang’s stand-up comedy show, he mentioned the movie "The Shawshank Redemption." I had no idea what the funny point was since I hadn’t watched this movie yet. Finally, there was no drama on my list, so I searched for the top 10 movies that are suggested to watch once in a lifetime. Surprisingly, "The Shawshank Redemption" is ranked number one, so I decided to watch it and explore how great it is.

First of all, the translated movie name in Taiwan is quite confusing and possibly misleads audiences into having the wrong imagination. The name, "The Sting" (1995), sounds like an action movie that has an intense feeling and lots of fight scenes, which is not my type. It’s actually a drama.

The story starts from a murder related to a love affair that caused two deaths and accuses the main character, Andy, of being the killer. Although he claimed he was innocent at the court, he was still sent to Shawshank Prison and began his life in prison.

The movie was shot from a third-person point of view and had a narrator to illustrate the story. The narrator is Andy’s friend in the prison, Red, characterized by the famous actor, Morgan Freeman. There are several turning points in the movie, and my emotion was tied to Andy’s suffering.

Overall, I like this movie much more than "Forrest Gump." One line in the movie, "If the heart is a cage, then everywhere is a cage. Freedom is not outside, but within the heart,” made me reflect on my life and career. I asked myself if I really feel happy or just pretend and lock myself in the social framework and what the ultimate purpose of life is.

Translation

當我看Jimmy O. Yang的單口喜劇表演時，他提到了電影《刺激1995》（The Shawshank Redemption）。由於我還沒看過這部電影，所以完全不懂笑點在哪裡。後來在我的片單上沒有新的劇集，於是我查了一下「一生必看的十大電影」，結果驚訝地發現《刺激1995》竟然排在第一名。於是我決定去看這部電影，看看它有多厲害。

首先，這部電影在台灣的翻譯名稱讓人困惑，可能會誤導觀眾產生錯誤的想像。譯名《刺激1995》聽起來像是充滿緊張感和許多打鬥場面的動作片，這並不是我的菜。但其實這是一部劇情片。

故事從一樁與愛情有關的謀殺案展開，導致了兩人死亡，並讓主角Andy被指控為兇手。儘管他在法庭上聲稱自己是無辜的，但仍被送進了肖申克監獄，開始了他的監獄生活。

電影以第三人稱視角拍攝，並由一位旁白講述故事。這位旁白是Andy在監獄裡的朋友Red，由著名演員摩根·弗裡曼飾演。電影中有幾個轉折點，我的情緒隨著Andy的遭遇而波動。

整體來說，我比起《阿甘正傳》更喜歡這部電影。電影中的一句話，「如果心是一座牢籠，那麼無論身在何處都是牢籠。自由不在外界，而在內心深處。」讓我反思了自己的生活和職業生涯。我問自己是否真的感到快樂，還是只是假裝快樂，將自己禁錮在社會的框架中，並思考人生的最終意義究竟是什麼。

Vocabulary

1. stand-up comedy show
   單口喜劇表演，通常由一位喜劇演員在舞台上講述幽默的故事或段子，與觀眾互動。
   I had a great time at the stand-up comedy show last night; the comedian was hilarious!
2. accuse sb of crime
   指控某人犯了罪，通常是在法律或正式的場合提出指控。
   The detective decided to accuse him of the crime after gathering enough evidence.
3. third-person point of view
   第三人稱視角，指的是從第三者的角度來敘述故事，通常使用「他」、「她」或「它」等代詞。
   The story is told from a third-person point of view, which gives the reader insight into multiple characters' thoughts.
4. emotion is tied to
   情感與某事物有關，表示某種情感或感覺與特定的事件、人物或情境相關聯。
   Her joy is tied to the success of her family, as she always feels proud of their achievements.
5. make me reflect on
   讓我思考，表示某個事件、話語或經歷促使個人重新思考或深思某件事。
   The documentary made me reflect on the importance of protecting the environment and taking action.