1. Authorship: Who created this film?
2. Format: What creative techniques are used to attract my attention?
3. Audience: How might different people understand this message differently from me?
4. Purpose: Why is the message being communicated?
5. Content: What lifestyles, values, and points of view are represented in, or omitted from this message?
6. Spirituality: What does this film say about our view of God and/or the filmmaker’s view of God.
Unst101's Blog 
1. Frank Darabont was the director of Shawshank Redemption.
2. Flashbacks in the movie attract my attention because it makes me want to know what actually happened opposed to what people are saying in the present time of the story. I also like Morgan Freeman so him being in the movie also attracts my attention.
3. The message I interpret from Shawshank redemption is that the loss of hope brings failure. Other people might think that the movie’s message is to never give up no matter how hard times might be.
4. The message is being communicated to encourage the viewer never to lose hope, and through hope the impossible is made possible. For example, Andy’s hope for a better life led him to break out of prison using a rock carving axe.
5. Andy Dufrane represents an honest and hard working lifestyle in the film while the warden represents a corrupt and backstabbing lifestyle. The movie is from a man’s point of view, most likely because Shawshank Prison only had males.
6. The story in the film portrays a view of God that inspires hope and redemption in even the darkest of times. This is similar to what we believe. On the contrary, the movie has a lot of physical discipline which would not go hand in hand with what we believe in teaching people lessons.
Hiral Madhani
Shawshank Redemption is a 1994 film directed and written by Frank Darabont, starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. I really liked this film because of its amazing and interesting storyline. It wasn’t just another regular film, but it had meaning to it. An interesting creative technique I really liked in this movie was the way they used allegory throughout the whole movie. The whole film seems like an allegory that tests one’s self worth when they are put into hard and devastating situations. There were a lot of scenes where my attention was caught, but I really liked the last scene where they both are on the beach and you get this sense of a complete and relaxed feeling. I think different people might view this message differently than me because everyone has their own opinions. To me, it seems like this movie showed a lot of situations that demonstrated that no matter where you are or how difficult things get; you can still get through it. I also see it as even in prison, people can be free. They can always be determined and motivated and show that courage. Others may see it as even in the real world, people can be confined and unfree. It all depends on how you look at life. This message is being communicated through this film because it is showing a true sense of courage and determination. It is displaying true freedom even in the hardest of times. I believe that courage, motivation, gratitude, and determination are all lifestyles and values this movie brings out. I believe this film is saying that we should never give up hope. “God sees the truth, but waits” is a very good example of this movie. I believe that Andy and Red never lost hope and that is how they became free. Shawshank Redemption is a fundamental example of hope against purpose, happiness against darkness and victory of the human spirit against all odds.