- When Andy befriends Red, showing how friendship can endure terrible situations and exceeds all boundaries people are faced with, it is also a metaphor for the time I spilled a full plate of lasagna onto the roof of my neighbour’s Fiat Punto. Although the bond of two condemned men living under a ruthless prison system and a piping hot plate of Italian cuisine covering an old man’s car may not seem the same initially, if your name is Seán Farbuckt, you’ll understand.
- The scene where Brooks is freed after spending most of his life in Shawshank, is essentially the movie version of when I accidentally poured a whole bottle of sweet chilli sauce on top of my neighbour’s car. This metaphor was very subtle, but if you look closely into his eyes as he walks through town all confused, it’s almost the same look my neighbour had when I tried to clean up the sticky mess with his ‘Welcome’ door mat. Don’t worry if you don’t get it. I’m the only one who gets it.
- Finally, the memorable cinematic moment when Andy Dufresne escapes by climbing through miles of disgusting sewage reminds me of the time I dropped several enormous wedding cakes onto the roof of my next-door neighbour’s car. The tension, the passion and the smell were pretty much the same. My neighbour also cried watching them both happening. Sadly, only I can recognise these comparisons.
Seán Farbuckt – Turbine Writer
