Did Red Redding ever really make it to Zihuatanejo to be reunited with his old friend, Andy Dufresne, after Andy escaped from Shawshank Prison with over $370,000 of Warden Norton’s illegally laundered money, or was the final scene just a figment of Red’s imagination?
Red made it, baby! And with years to spare. He and Andy spent the remainders of their lives running a little hotel right on the beach, where Red helped Andy work on a worthless old boat to get it running again, a boat they then used to take guests out on charter fishing trips.
Right?
But then, there must be a reason for the question, isn’t there? Because some parts in the film point to an alternate ending.
For example, we saw Brooks carve his name into the load-bearing beam in the room he was renting in the boarding house where he was paroled. And then Brooks hanged himself.
Brooks was no longer a person of importance and respect, as he had been in prison, where he was the librarian and where he cared for small, helpless creatures that needed him. Brooks had no purpose and saw no light at the end of the tunnel that remained of his life.
Then, later, we saw Red carve his own name into the same load-bearing beam, next to Brooks, which suggests that Red had reached the same point of hopelessness. The chair even wobbles under Red, as it had for Brooks.
They had both been paroled to the same meager, menial job as a grocery bagger and both had a problem acclimating to their freedom.
Furthermore, it feels like a dream after Red makes the trip to Buxton and finds the box with Andy’s letter and the money underneath the rock of black volcanic glass beneath the tree where Andy made love to his wife the day he first proposed to her.
After that, it might be that it was only in Red’s imagination that he skipped parole, bought that bus ticket to the Texas/Mexico border and crossed over to the promised land.
It could be that when we see Red walking along the beach towards Andy, who is sanding the hull of that old boat before looking up to see his old friend approaching, that could have only been in Red’s mind.
Sure, it’s possible Red never made that trip. There is other dream- or death-like symbolism; Red walking through a meadow with butterflies flitting here and there; Red staring out the window of the bus, reminiscent of the final scene in Midnight Cowboy, when Ratso fades away in Joe Buck’s arms; the racing view of the ocean, as if the wind could be carrying Red’s spirit to heaven.
We even see Red stop at a pawn shop and glance over the firearms for sale.
But I prefer to believe those were only coincidental and this is why:
“Terrible thing, to live in fear. Brooks Hatlen knew it. Knew it all too well. All I want is to be back where things make sense. Where I won't have to be afraid all the time. Only one thing stops me. A promise I made to Andy.” (Red Redding)
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Red might have looked over the firearms, but his eyes rested on a compass. And he bought that compass — not the firearm.
When Red left prison, he initially looked happy to be free, as opposed to Brooks. That’s because Red had always hoped to be paroled. Brooks had decided he never wanted to leave Shawshank. So they had different final stages in their lives.
They weren’t the same person. One had motivation that the other had completely lost. Brooks took the short way out. Red chose to use that compass to look for a tree and a piece of volcanic glass.
Red had a reason to live; he so wanted to see Andy again. If for no other reason than that, I don’t see him making the same final choice Brooks did. I don’t think he was that overcome or despondent.
So I choose to believe Red made it all the way to see his friend Andy again, and not just in the afterlife.