150 Greatest Movie Performances Of All Time

Part one (150-121)

By Total FilmDec 8th 2008

18. 134. Morgan Freeman - Ellis Boyd 'Red' Redding, The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Did Freeman’s Deep Impact President pave the way for Barack Obama? Perhaps. In Shawshank, he plays murderer as lovely old codger. Turning middle-America onto a black boss then is surely child’s play in comparison.

You just feel at ease with old Morgs. Here, well-worn features betray calm remorse. “Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane.” It is, but Red don’t wanna rot and, with Tim Robbins’ Andy Dufresne, he allows himself to be set free.

He’s done wrong, sure, but by Zihuatanejo time, you’re right on his side.

Greatest Moment: Guiltily opening the buried tin by the long rock wall.

Also See: Ned Logan (Unforgiven), Detective Lt William Somerset (Se7en), Eddie ‘Scrap-Iron’ Dupris (Million Dollar Baby).

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