[Maladiq]

A lot of people consider Shawshank to be the better movie. It is even voted as the best movie of all times on IMDB. Yet I do not understand why. Nobody gives a single argument for this. So let's debate this. Which movie do you think is better and why?

[rockfest]

If we're talking '94 then, Pulp Fiction

I can hardly say that I remember the topic of Forrest Gump. I saw it, that I know but I it seems that I didn't liked it that much like The Shawshank Redemption where I still know the plot of the movie. That alone already expresses my choice.
However, to give more arguments to SR (let's call it like that) then you have to consider that the movie puts out a rare quality of humans, self-sacrifice and suicide, etc. (it's a really dramatic movie in my opinion) and these kinds of movies tend to make a fuss.

[Maladiq]

Well, I found SR's plot to be extremely generic. Innocent man goes to prison, has a hard time, has a good time, evil warden, escapes, the end. Forrest had a more elaborate plot, following the whole life of a person, seeing him grow and develop as an individual.

SR tries to make us feel pity for killers, throwing us in a place where the bad guys are not evil and the good guys are. In the end no lessons are learned by anybody. Maybe it was just me, but I pretty much anticipated the plot since the two main characters talked about that little village in Mexico. Not for a second did I expected Andy to commit suicide.

I found FG to have more emphasis on those rare qualities you were talking about, and that was even more impressive seeing how self sacrifice, forgiveness, redemption affect people who have no reason to feel them. They are not doing it because they are constrained in a prison, or because it is the only way to make their lives better, they simply grow and develop.

As for the dramatic part, even if FG is a lot more optimistic, I found its ending to be much more dramatic and bittersweet than SR's.


*********

Now, to take it point by point.

The direction in FG was clearly superior SR's. The director manages to have a million different tones for the scenes without affecting the general tone of the movie. In SR the tone is pretty much the same all over the movie. The really minor characters in FG have more natural reactions and the interaction between every single element in FG is superior to that of SR.

The story is better in FG. The only way I can describe the story in SR is generic. It is far from being bad, yet it still is like the Gothic 2 vanilla plot: generic and boring from time to time.

The script I believe it is equally good in both movies. On a personal level I liked Gump's better because of the funny moments which didn't ruin the tone of the movie.

The actors. Forrest Gump kicks Andy's butt, no fucking contest. The only way I can describe Tim Robbins' performance in this movie is "absolutely horrendous". The guy couldn't act if his life depended on it. I think Morgan Freeman plays better than the supporting cast fo FG, but only by a slight edge. Overall, all of the supporting cast of FG plays on the top level: the mother, the lieutenant, Jinny, Bubba and so on.

The cinematography. It is impressive in SR, given the small number of places present in the movie. But I would say, even if the merit belongs mostly to the complexity of the story, the award goes to FG.

[Yavanna]

I'll go with Shawshank Redemption, since I never liked Forest Gump enough to even bother watching it again. =/

[Dino]

It really all boils down to taste. You can't say liking green is wrong because blue is your favorite color.

As far as I go, I prefer the Shawnshank Redemption.

[Ariogaisus]

As far as I go, I prefer the Shawnshank Redemption.

Okay.
You can't really compare the two because they're are so different but i prefer Forrest Gump.

[Bamfy]

I don't even remember the plot from Forrest Gump so I guess you know my answer.

[Alexandra Victoria]

A lot of people consider Shawshank to be the better movie. It is even voted as the best movie of all times on IMDB. Yet I do not understand why. Nobody gives a single argument for this. So let's debate this. Which movie do you think is better and why?

The 2 movies are entirely different. One cannot compare them. They're both brilliant in their own way.

[Calin Masso]

I haven't watched the whole Forrest Gump yet, I've only seen fragments of it and it seems very different from Shawshank Redemption. From what I've watched, Forest Gump tends to have a funnier approach of life than SR, which is a real drama, so my vote will go to SR for now, since it's a very beautiful film which really makes an impression if you watch it ... I'll let you know if I change my mind when I watch FG.

Speaking of which, have you watched The Green Mile? Like FG, it stars Tom Hanks, and like SR, it takes place in prison and it's also about the fact that sometimes good men can accidentally wind up behind bars. If yes, do you think it's better than SR and/or FG?

[Dino]

Okay.
You can't really compare the two because they're are so different but i prefer Forrest Gump.

lol typo

[Ariogaisus]

lol typo

A typo which meant that a guy named Shawn got shanked and is seeking redemption.

The 2 movies are entirely different. One cannot compare them. They're both brilliant in their own way.

What (s)he said.

[Maladiq]

The 2 movies are entirely different. One cannot compare them. They're both brilliant in their own way.

Well, let's put ourselves in the place of the American Film Academy

[Dino]

A typo which meant that a guy named Shawn got shanked and is seeking redemption.

This isn't a spelling contest

[.†.MikeL.†.]

Both movies are based on true stories ain't that right? I loved both but I do agree with Maladiq, Shawshank Redemption's story is a bit generic. If I had to choose between the two then I would go for Forest Gump, it's more touching and original.

[warstrike]

I liked both movies but Shawshank Redemption impressed me more.

[KGS]

i don't think these movies are anything special

[.†.MikeL.†.]

i don't think these movies are anything special

They were once.

[Bastardo]

I can sit through both movies you mentioned without plucking my own eyes out. Which is good considering I require eyes for vision.

But I'm apathetic towards most movies I don't hate.

[KGS]

They were once.

what do you mean by that

[.†.MikeL.†.]

what do you mean by that

They're old. By now there's a dozen movies just as good as those if not better, possibly more.