Andy Dufresne's life, he a young successful banker, changes dramatically when a court unjustly condemned to a double life sentence in a high security prison called Shawshank, for the murder of his wife and her lover. In prison, he realizes how terrible is the life of a prisoner, especially newcomers, gradually the respect of other prisoners and friendship Red Redding, who runs the black market prison is won, getting for inmates, all kinds of things they want. Andy acquires certain privileges to solve fiscal problems the guards and the warden, for whom organized an extensive network of political corruption. Andy learns from another inmate that the true murderer of his wife's locked in another criminal, so ask your case reopened. The governor then ordered to kill this new inmate to prevent the departure of Andy and come to light their dirty business. But in the end Andy escapes through a hole dug it.