Shawshank Redemption Movie Mistakes

In all great films, there are some great mistakes, spotting them is a full time hobby for some! Shawshank Redemption is by no means any different to all other films. Here are some of the mistakes that have been spotted in the film.

Factual Errors

  1. In the courtroom scene there is a microphone a 1955 Shure SM55 while the courtroom scene was in 1949
  2. The warden offers Tommy a Malboro Miles which were not in producing in 1965 or 66
  3. When Red is working in the Food-Way store following his release there are cartons of More and Newport cigarettes on the shelf, however, More was not released until 1975.
  4. In the Library Heywood is listening to Hank Williams ‘Lovesick blues’ from the double LP ‘Hank Williams 24 Greatest Hits which, while the Hank Williams song was recorded at the time, this LP was originally released by MGM in 1970 well after this scene was set.
  5. Chess should be played with a white square at the right end of the first row, when you see the chess board with Andy’s stone figures, the black square is on the right.

 

Plot Holes

  1. When Andy’s escape is discovered, the posted of Rita Hayworth covering the hole is fastened down on all four corners which would be next to impossible from inside the hole.

 

Continuity Error

  1. When Andy plays the Opera music to the whole prison, all the inmates in the yard stop and stare at the speakers. The scene then cuts to the infirmary where a man gets out of bed and looks out of the window to the court yard, the camera then pans the courtyard and the very same man is seen standing in the yard.
  2. The A that Andy carves is different to the A shown near the end of the movie
  3. When Norton Kills himself, the glass behind him blows out, it takes about a whole frame out. Several moments later the camera pans back and you see that it is only a small hole with a differently shaped smear of blood.
  4. When Brooks holds the knife to haywoods throat, in one shot there is blood, while in the next it has gone.
  5. When Andy’s escape is discovered, the Warden tells the Guard to question Red, while pointing with his left hand, when the scene changes to a different angle he is clearly pointing with his right hand.
  6. When Norton loads the gun the bullets are scattered all over the table. When he takes aim the bullets are neatly in one place.
  7. After Andy plays the music over the PA to the prison, Hadley breaks down the door after the music has finished, but the needle is clearly still in the first groove of the record.
  8. Red’s sweat soaked shirt magically dries as he approaches the Oak tree at the end.