It's interesting where comedy can come from. Typically, audiences see humor primarily dominate a comedy-oriented movie. Yet, the opposite couldn't be more true because without comedy in classic movies like The Shawshank Redemption, considered to be one of the best movies of all time, what would audiences be left with?
Despite being an intense look into a prisoner's search for hope in a horrible prison, The Shawshank Redemption needs its hilarious quotes and moments to balance the movie. Without that comedic element, the movie would just be dark and melodramatic and not exciting. The humor and quotes are what lift the experience and make it as lovable as it is. Here are the funniest lines in the movie, ranked.
"Andy...you can't just make a person up!"
Chances are foreshadowing in any movie will come in the form of anything, from a quote to action and oftentimes, they can end up being pretty enjoyable lines. Like when Red tells Andy he can't just make a person up.
Of course, all who've seen the classic movie know that the opposite is actually true as, by the end, Andy has made a person up. At first glance, the line seems like a throwaway. With the added benefit of hindsight though, the line shines through.
"Lord, it’s a miracle! A man up and vanished like a fart in the wind!"
By the end of the story, Andy makes a break for it and leaves everyone wondering how he pulled it off, including the Warden.
Faced with the possibility of Andy having escaped, he flies into the tirade of Andy disappearing "like a fart in the wind!" Coupled with Bob Gunton's fantastic performance and the timing of the quote make for a humorous quote in an otherwise stressful situation that even the audience feels.
"Chess. Now there's a game of kings. Civilized, strategic... And a total ****ing mystery. I hate it!"
One of the best aspects of The Shawshank Redemption was the relationship between Red and Andy. Throughout the movie, audiences watched as the two came closer together and formed a tight bond.
Throughout the movie, the two are seen playing chess often and at one point, Andy comments on how much he loves the game...which, of course, prompts Red to exclaim how much he hates it. It's the kind of budding friendship many can relate to on a humorous level.
"The man likes to play chess; let's get him some rocks."
Like with all friendships, there's always another side. While the two friends may always appear to be arguing or getting on one another's nerves, at the end of the day, they're still friends. Something that's compounded upon when Andy's nearly beaten to death.
With his friend hurt and in pain, Red suggests to his other friends that they get Andy something, stating that he likes chess. Of course, it wouldn't be a friendship without a bit of humor, with Red suggesting they get Andy some rocks.
"What is your malfunction, you fat barrel of monkey s****?"
"You fat barrel of monkey s****", is probably one of the more creative insults flung by Captain Hadley, the brutal guard at Shawshank.
Directed at the prisoners, the insult lands the mark and just works and is made all the funnier by the delivery of the great Clancy Brown.
"My God, Warden! How could you be so obtuse!"
Probably the best quotes are the ones that often times get parodied or made fun of. Whether it's because of how good the quote is or just how easy it is to make fun of it, the quotes always gain attention and acclaim, like the obtuse quote.
Although not much to look at on the surface, calling someone obtuse never really seemed like that big of an insult, even after the Warden took it so seriously.
"Dumm-ass? Dumas. You know what that’s about? You’ll like that, it’s about a prison break. We ought to file that under educational too, oughtn’t we?"
Due to the conditions at the prison in the movie, the inmates don't get much opportunity to encounter new books. So when Andy manages to convince the Warden to renovate and contribute to the library, it offers up some great moments of joy.
Seeing the prisoners joke around about the "Count Of Monte Cristo", a book about a prisoner planning an escape from the very perspective of prisoners allows for a great moment of comedy. That and the mispronunciation of Dumas's name sells the quote.
"I have no idea to this day what those two Italian ladies were singing about. Truth is, I don't want to know."
When they're coming from Red, the quotes are always memorable. Not just because Red's a fantastic character but also because it's one of Morgan Freeman's best roles.
When Andy plays an operatic melody on the loudspeaker for all to hear, Red's comments cement perhaps the most iconic scene of the entire movie.