ABSTRACT
In the classic film The Shawshank Redemption, the major focus of the story is on the first two parts of the log line: "a man, falsely imprisoned, falling victim to the very worst in human behavior." This is a crime movie, pure and simple, illustrating the fundamental dichotomy of Criminal versus Lawman. By the end of this crime story, justice is served to those who hid their criminal behavior behind the mask of authority. An idea does not dictate super-, macro- or microgenre. To the contrary: these genres help to give own idea its form, shape and substance. A simple through-line such as "A man, falsely imprisoned, falls victim to the very worst in human behavior before finding his way to freedom and putting his life back together" can become a crime movie, a science fiction film, or a slice-of-life story with any number of macro and micro combinations.
