Man Escapes Prison Over 19 Years Using Only a Small Hammer
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00:00This prison had an incredibly strange incident. During roll call, prisoner number 245 never
00:06appeared. The angry guard walked over to check, he yelled, you better be sick or dead. But two
00:11seconds later, he was utterly stunned. A murderer had suddenly disappeared from a heavily guarded
00:16cell. Warden Norton heard the news and came to inspect. In his anger, he casually picked up a
00:22rock and threw it, but unexpectedly punctured a hole in the poster on the wall. After the poster
00:27was peeled down, everyone understood clearly. It turned out that prisoner had escaped. The prison
00:32immediately dispatched numerous police to investigate. But in the end, they only found an old, tattered
00:38prison uniform and a rock hammer about to fall apart in a nearby ditch. And this is the world-famous
00:43Shawshank escape event. It all started 20 years ago. In 1947, Shawshank prison welcomed a new batch
00:50of prisoners. The old prisoners were extremely excited because they were about to get new toys
00:55again. As usual, they would bet on which prisoner would wet himself first. Most people chose the
01:00fat guy, but Red chose his own path, insisting on picking the tall, skinny Andy from the crowd.
01:06I bet 10 cigarettes. Afterwards, Warden Norton began to speak, but was suddenly interrupted by a
01:11tough-looking, blind-eyed guy. He asked when they would eat. Seeing this, Captain Hadley picked up his
01:16baton and stepped forward. When we tell you to eat, you eat. When we tell you to shit, you shit. When we tell
01:23you to piss, you piss. Warden Norton continued his speech and then said, entrust your thoughts to God
01:29and your sorry ass damn. Welcome to Shawshank prison. After the heavy prison door slammed shut, the
01:34first sleepless night at Shawshank began. The guards had just left when some old-timers eagerly started
01:40teasing the newcomers. Instantly, a new prisoner started crying, wanting to go home. Someone had won
01:46the bet. The fat guy scored first. Soon enough, the noise from the cell attracted the guards' attention.
01:51Captain Hadley warned the fat guy to shut up, but he kept crying his heart out. But the more he was
01:56warned, the louder the fat guy cried. The captain lost patience, pushed the fat guy outside, and beat
02:02him brutally, stopping only when he was on the verge of death. Take this cripple to the infirmary.
02:07Seeing his plump body, the guards hesitated for a moment, then left. Thus, the next morning, everyone
02:13heard the news that the fat guy had died. Hadley smashed his head in. The poor bastard just lay there
02:18until morning. While everyone was silent, Andy suddenly asked, what was his name? What's it to
02:24you, new fish? Why does a dead man need a name? Also from that day on, Red became curious about
02:29the young man who had cost him two packs of cigarettes. After listening around for a while,
02:33he finally found out. It turned out Andy used to be a banker, but he was accidentally implicated in a
02:39murder case. That night, Andy got drunk wanting to kill his wife and her lover, but before he could act,
02:44both were found tragically murdered in the house. But after going to court, all the evidence pointed
02:49directly at the innocent Andy, leaving him no way to deny it. In the end, even the judge was deceived.
02:56I sentence you to two life sentences in retribution for the two dead victims. End of trial. At first,
03:02Andy didn't interact with anyone until a month later when he approached Red. He hoped Red could get him
03:07a rock hammer for carving. Helping him was the man who knew how to get things in prison. Of course,
03:12Red could do it. But he was still slightly wary of this specific item. You want to escape? Dig a
03:17tunnel? You'll understand when you see the hammer. As expected, after Red got the hammer, all his
03:23worries were dismissed. Using it to dig a tunnel would take at least 600 years. So, under Red's
03:28arrangement, the hammer was successfully delivered to Andy. The gears of fate also began to turn.
03:34However, for the next two years, Andy didn't have an easy life either. His face was always sad and
03:39covered in injuries. Although he never revealed the reason, everyone knew it was the masterpiece of
03:44the sisters in prison. They had desired Andy for a long time, and each time he resisted, he would be
03:50severely beaten. Until today, the factory roof outside the prison needed repair, Warden Norton
03:56decided to assign 12 prisoners. Through an under-the-table deal, at the price of one pack of cigarettes per
04:01person, Red helped his friends successfully secure spots. And what surprised Andy was that he also
04:07appeared on the list. While working, Andy overheard Captain Hadley's complaints. His brother had left
04:12him an inheritance after dying, but the huge taxes made him extremely frustrated. Hearing this, a banker
04:17like Andy quietly approached. Hey, Captain, do you trust your wife? Oh, interesting. I mean, you don't
04:24admit it because she's not faithful to you. The captain, thinking he was being insulted, fell silent,
04:30wanting to push him off the roof. He was about to push Andy off. If you trust her, you can definitely
04:35get the $35,000. What did you say? $35,000, every last cent. You better not be messing with me.
04:42If you want to receive the whole amount, gift it to your wife. The tax department allows a one-time
04:47lifetime gift of up to $60,000 tax-free. The tax department doesn't collect a dime. Coupled with
04:53the fact that Andy used to be a banker, Captain Hadley decided to trust him for now. But Andy made a small
04:59request. After everything is successful, treat my colleagues to three beers each. So, on the day it
05:05succeeded, twelve prisoners sat on the roof bathed in the afternoon sun, enjoying the cold beers in
05:10their hands. And the one treating was the most notorious Captain Hadley in prison. We drank beer
05:16under the sun shining on our backs like free men, feeling like we were fixing our own roofs. We were
05:21like the lords of all creation. And Andy? He kept a strange smile on his face, watching us drink his
05:27beer. From then on, Andy was officially accepted by the prisoners. To show his gratitude, Red gave him
05:33a large pin-up poster. And this poster also became an indispensable part of Andy's grand plan.
05:38Today, the sisters came looking for Andy again. Andy still refused strongly as before. But because
05:44he resisted too fiercely, he received the worst beating yet, enough to be in the infirmary for a
05:50month. And the leader of the sisters also paid a heavy price for this. From that day on, the sisters
05:56no longer bothered Andy, and their leader would never walk again. Soon enough, Andy's talents were
06:01discovered by Warden Norton. He used the excuse of patrolling the cells to come to Andy's room,
06:06turn around, face the warden. After noticing the Bible in Andy's hand, the warden gladly quoted.
06:12At this moment, the warden noticed the poster on the wall. Regulations forbade posting it,
06:17but he decided to make an exception for Andy. Before leaving, Warden Norton returned the Bible to Andy,
06:22also quoting the moral saying from the book. Salvation lies within. But he would never have
06:28guessed this Bible would eventually lead to his downfall. A few days later, somehow Andy was
06:33transferred by Warden Norton to work in the library. Not only did he not have to do manual labor,
06:38but he also had a lot of free time. Just as he was wondering why Warden Norton did this,
06:42a guard came looking for him. I want to apply for a scholarship for my son. It turned out Warden
06:47Norton's real purpose was for Andy to serve as the prison's free financial advisor. Soon enough,
06:53Andy's financial services spread throughout Shawshank. More and more guards came to him
06:57for tax returns. Even Warden Norton was among them. At the busiest times, he even needed Red as an
07:03assistant to enrich the daily lives of his fellow inmates. Andy also requested funding from Warden
07:09Norton to expand the library, but was still denied. There were only three circumstances where prison
07:14funds could be touched, building fences, or adding cells, and adding guards. Reluctantly,
07:20Andy had to write letters to the state senate to request funding, but ultimately, it was like
07:24throwing a stone into the sea. So Andy persisted, deciding to send one letter a week, until they
07:29replied. Just like that, a year passed. Today, the librarian Brooks suddenly snapped. The man who was
07:35always gentle suddenly held a fellow inmate at knife point. It turned out he had been approved for
07:40parole yesterday, but he didn't want to leave the prison, so he wanted to commit an offense to
07:44extend his sentence. Fortunately, Andy's group passed by and persuaded him. Finally, Brooks put
07:50down the weapon, but his actions left Andy extremely puzzled. Isn't being free a good thing?
07:55Red explained, he's just institutionalized. Institutionalized? He's been in prison for 50 years.
08:0150 whole years. This is the only place he knows. In here, he's an important man, an educated man.
08:07But out there, he's nothing, just a prisoner with arthritis. Would be refused even if he wanted to
08:12borrow library books. I'm telling you, these walls are funny. First you hate him. Then you get used
08:17to him. Enough time passes, you get so you depend on him. That's institutionalized. The next day,
08:23Brooks released the little bird that had been with him for years, carrying confusion and bewilderment
08:28as he left the place he had lived for 50 years. Walking on the bustling streets, everything here
08:33filled him with fear. When he was young, he had only ever seen one car, but now they filled the
08:39streets. The parole board had provided accommodation and a packing job for him, but he was too old.
08:44Although he tried to work hard, he was still disliked by the store manager. His arthritis
08:48constantly flared up, but what tortured his soul the most was the loneliness. He often woke up at night,
08:54then was overwhelmed by a huge sense of loss. He didn't like this noisy world, and this world didn't
08:59need a useless old man either. So one day, he put on an old-fashioned suit. After carving a line onto
09:05the beam, he contentedly ended his life. He endured in a dark prison cell for 50 years, but only managed
09:12to survive in the free world for three days. Finally, Andy, who had persisted in writing letters
09:17for six years, got a response. The state senate sent $200 and a few boxes of old books, hoping Andy would
09:24stop there. But it seemed they had underestimated Andy. From now on, I'll write two letters a week.
09:30While sorting the books, Andy found a record in a box. This gave him a bold idea. So he put the
09:35record on the player, locked the door of the broadcasting room, then turned on the PA system
09:39switch. Melodious singing echoed through every corner of Shawshank. The inmates stopped to listen.
09:45They quietly experienced the freedom and hope in the music. At this moment, the prison walls seemed to
09:51disappear. The prisoners' despair also vanished into thin air. And the price for all this was Andy
09:56being put in solitary confinement for two weeks. After Andy got out, people couldn't help asking him,
10:02was it really worth it for a song? But Andy said, there are some things prison can't confine. It's hope.
10:08Red disagreed with Andy's point of view. He told him about his two parole hearings. The first time was
10:1310 years ago, acting like a child who made a mistake. Red's answer was sincere, careful, and reserved.
10:19He even swore to God he would never make a mistake again. But finally, 10 years later,
10:25Red faced his second parole hearing. Compared to the last time, he became calmer, more indifferent,
10:30but his eyes held much less desire for freedom. For your life sentence, you've been incarcerated
10:35here for 30 years. Not unexpectedly, what awaited Red was still rejection as before. 30 years of prison
10:41life and two failed parole applications had long since made Red lose heart. He advised Andy,
10:46face the reality before you. Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane. It has no use
10:52here. You better just accept your fate. Some more time passed. The two letters Andy sent each week
10:58got a response. The state legislature understood that $200 couldn't get rid of him. So they decided
11:04to allocate $500 per year to Shawshank. Andy used this money to buy a large quantity of old books,
11:10building the best prison library in New England. At the same time, Warden Norton implemented the prison
11:15labor program. Thanks to this, he earned a large amount of dirty money through the huge amount of
11:20free labor. And naturally, the money laundering task fell onto Andy. Out of concern for his friend,
11:26Red advised him to still be careful. But Andy laughed and told him not to worry. It turned out
11:30he had used his expertise to launder money through methods like stocks and securities. Then, he transferred
11:36the money under the name of a person called Randall Stevens. And this was a person Andy fabricated using
11:41a loophole, someone who only existed on paper and documents. A few more years passed, a new batch
11:47of prisoners arrived at the prison. Among them was a young man named Tommy Williams. Thanks to his
11:52bright personality, he quickly integrated with the other inmates. During a chat, he learned the reason
11:57why Andy was imprisoned from Red. In an instant, it seemed something clicked. He sought out Andy, told him
12:03what he had heard while serving time in another prison. It was a guy who seemed crazy. He stood by the
12:08window boasting about his past exploits. The story he told exactly matched Andy's wrongful conviction
12:14case. Hearing news that could clear his name, Andy quickly became agitated. He went to Warden Norton,
12:19wanting to persuade him to reopen his case. But Warden Norton refused. Andy knew while the warden was
12:25afraid that after he left, he would reveal the money laundering. To avoid future trouble, Warden Norton
12:30called Tommy outside the prison. He wanted to test the truthfulness of his words.
12:34I need you to be sure. We need to be 100% certain to reopen the case. I need to know if what you told
12:40Andy is true. Yes, sir, it's all true. What Tommy said confirmed Warden Norton's fears. He put out
12:46his cigarette, looked up at the guard tower. Tommy fell in a pool of blood, stopped breathing. Just like
12:52that, an innocent young man was cruelly eliminated for self-interest, and the reason given for shooting
12:57him was suspicion of trying to escape. Learning about this, Andy was devastated, deciding not to work
13:03for Warden Norton anymore. But facing this situation, Warden Norton still had countless ways.
13:09Another month in solitary confinement. Another month passed. Andy was finally released from the
13:13solitary confinement room. Red advised him to accept reality. Fighting here never ended well.
13:19But Andy said he had been here for 19 years. If one day he got out, he would go to a place called
13:24Zawadaneo, a place called the ocean with no memory. I want to live the rest of my life there,
13:28open a small hotel by the sea, buy an old boat, and fix it up like new. Take guests out on the
13:34ocean. Red advised him to stop daydreaming. Anyway, a person always has to choose one of two.
13:40Get busy living, or get busy dying. Before leaving, Andy told Red. If one day you successfully get
13:46paroled, you must go to the hayfield north of Buxton. There's a stone wall there, and a large oak
13:51tree. There's a piece of black volcanic rock under the tree. There's something I left for you under the
13:56rock. Andy's tone was like giving final instructions. This made Red couldn't help worrying. When he heard
14:02from another inmate that Andy had just gotten a rope from him, Red became even more anxious. He
14:07worried Andy would commit suicide like Brooks. A person's patience has limits. That night, outside
14:12the prison walls, thunder rumbled and lightning flashed. Red sat by his bed experiencing the longest
14:18night of his life. The next morning, Red looked towards Andy's cell, but he never appeared. A guard
14:24cursed as he went to check. The next second, his eyes widened in shock. At the same time,
14:29Warden Norton heard the alarm siren. Knowing Andy had disappeared from his cell, he angrily dragged
14:34Red out for questioning. But Red was confused and knew nothing about it. In a fit of rage, he picked up
14:40the rocks from the windowsill to vent his anger. This is a goddamn conspiracy. Everyone was involved,
14:46including her. A strange sound echoed. Warden Norton pulled the poster aside, and behind the poster was
14:51the door to freedom. After a comprehensive search, they only discovered a prison uniform and a worn
14:57out rock hammer in the sewage pipe near the prison. It turned out, the first time he got the rock hammer
15:0119 years ago, Andy originally wanted to carve his name on the wall, but suddenly chipped off a piece
15:07of the wall easily. Looking at the rock that crumbled in his hand, Andy had a bold idea. So, using the
15:13poster for cover, he began digging the path to salvation. During every morning walk in the yard,
15:18he quietly scattered the debris. Just like that for 19 years. Until Tommy was killed, the last ray of
15:24hope vanished. Andy finally decided not to stay any longer. That night. First, he swapped Warden
15:30Norton's ledger books, also casually taking a pair of the Warden's leather shoes. When everyone was
15:35fast asleep, he stuffed all the important items into a bag. Then, Andy secured his belongings, crawled
15:41into the long, narrow tunnel, and climbed down the pipe. Thanks to the thunder masking the sound,
15:46Andy repeatedly used a rock to hit the rusted sewage pipe. After many attempts, he finally created a
15:52hole in the sewer pipe. Andy struggled to crawl through the foul-smelling sewer pipe, crawling and
15:58vomiting for 500 meters. After crawling out of the pipe, he struggled to take off his shirt,
16:03reached out to embrace the freedom he had lost for so long. The heavy rain washed away the filth from
16:08his body, also symbolizing his new life from now on. A few days later, a person named Randall Stevens
16:15appeared at various banks. Previously, he only existed on paper and documents, but now had become
16:20a real person. Andy not only had all the documents to prove his identity, but even the signature was
16:26perfect. He withdrew all the assets from the accounts. Before leaving, he also mailed the
16:31evidence of Warden Norton's and Captain Hadley's crimes to the newspaper office. The next morning,
16:36the Shawshank scandal made the front page of the newspapers. Warden Norton hurriedly opened the safe
16:41to destroy the incriminating evidence, but suddenly found only a Bible inside. Memories from many years
16:48ago flooded his mind. That day, he himself had handed the Bible back to Andy. He only remembered
16:53the content in the Bible, but forgot its weight. Soon enough, numerous police officers arrived at
16:58Shawshank. They took Captain Hadley away. Knowing the situation was irreversible, Norton turned the gun
17:04on himself. Some more time passed. Red received a postcard Andy sent. This proved he was free,
17:09heading towards the dreamland. Red was genuinely happy for his old friend from the bottom of his
17:14heart. And Andy's legendary story continued to circulate within the prison. But every time he
17:19was mentioned, Red always felt a hint of loss in his heart. Every evening, he remembered his long
17:25unseen old friend. But he understood one thing. Some birds aren't meant to be caged. Their feathers are
17:30too bright with the light of freedom. Just like that, many years passed. In the 40th year of Red's
17:35sentence, he faced his third parole hearing. It was a different interviewer, but still asking
17:40similar mundane questions. Have you been rehabilitated? Rehabilitated? Let me see. I have
17:46no idea what that word means. Ultimately, what do you want to know? Do I regret the crime I committed?
17:51Well, do you. Not a day goes by I don't feel regret. Not because I'm in here, or because you think I
17:56should be. I look back on the way I was then, a young, stupid kid who committed a terrible crime.
18:01I want to talk to him. I want to try and talk some sense to him, tell him the way things are. But I
18:06can't. That kid's long gone, and this old man is all that's left. Perhaps his sincere confession
18:11moved the interviewer. Perhaps he was too old to re-offend. Finally, he got the long-awaited stamp
18:17of approval. Reaching the heavy prison gate, he nodded goodbye to the guards he'd known for years.
18:22Forty years passed in the blink of an eye. The child who once made a mistake was now old.
18:27He looked bitterly at the high walls that had imprisoned him for more than half his life.
18:31At this moment, no one knew what he was thinking. He took the same bus as Brooks,
18:35saw the same scenery Brooks had seen, went to the room Brooks had stayed in. The name on the beam
18:40was still clear. Forty years of prison life had already institutionalized him like Brooks.
18:45He worked the same job as Brooks. Every time he wanted to go to the bathroom,
18:49he raised his hand to report to the store manager out of habit. Otherwise, couldn't piss a drop.
18:54He also thought about violating parole to return to prison, but finally reason brought him back to
18:59his senses. He decided to fulfill his promise to Andy. Before leaving, he also carved his name on
19:04the beam as a way to remember his old friend. Reaching the place Andy had mentioned, Red found
19:09what Andy had left for him under the large oak tree. It was some money and a letter.
19:14Dear Red, if you're reading this letter, you've probably been released. If you've come this far,
19:19maybe you can go a little further. You remember the place, right?
19:22Zewadeneo. I need someone to work with me. I'm waiting for you. The plan is ready. Remember,
19:27Red, hope is a good thing. Maybe the best of things. And no good thing ever dies. I hope this
19:33letter finds you, and finds you well. The words resonated deeply, enough to save a weary soul.
19:39Red decided to be bold for once. He violated his parole, crossed the border following the
19:44instructions in the letter. The wind of freedom brushed against his face, a feeling he had never had
19:49before. A few days later, Red arrived at a sea called No Memory. Clear blue sky, deep blue sea,
19:56gentle sea breeze. On a smooth sandy beach, two long-separated old friends finally met again.
20:02Andy Dufresne, despite being wrongfully convicted and living in the harsh environment of Shawshank
20:07Prison, never gave up hope. He believed in the future and always sought ways to escape captivity.
20:13Andy not only sought to escape Shawshank Prison, but also freed his soul from the trauma and suffering
20:18of the past. The Shawshank Redemption is not just a film about life in prison, but also a story about
20:24the strength of the human spirit. It encourages us to believe in hope, persevere, and always fight
20:30for the good things in life. Today's story ends here. Thank you for watching the film summary.
20:34What do you think of this movie? Please comment below.