shakespeare behind bar be a strangely uplifting documentary despite it content . convict at luther luckett correctional complex in lagrange and kentucky who have rap and murder etc and surround by bad people in an obviously depressing environment find something they genuinely enjoy and can become important and popular and celebrate in act . there be parallel theme to shawshank redemption with their institutionalised nature and search for forgives and redemption for their past life . a we follow a generous and non judgemental director and who give up his time each year to direct certain inmate in a choose play by william shakespeare ( this time around and the tempest and that be cleverly portray with the inmate who could relate to it so much with it penetrate focus on forgiveness and redemption in which they confide and relate to ) we be introduce to each actor in formal interview that be nicely pace with break up footage of them rehearse . each actor have their own story and tell of their regret and reason why they be there in emotional fashion with melancholic music over each in a traditional documentary sense . the strong and most respected inmate ( it would seem ) be sammie . the director appear to immediately realise who the most interesting inmate be in sammie ( and later and hal ) and allow a long and more in depth observation into the man and his personality . his presence be felt on screen and his personal revelation come a a shock to the audience and but give him such appeal in his emotional personality and a particular empathy be felt toward him . hal be the same at the beginning of the film . he have other thing that he do to pass the time that show a a comfortable hobby a it be in run an on site news broadcast programme . again and through personal interview and revelation self admit by hal ( and nicely shot cutaway of hal body language and not the close ups of his uncertain hand movement not only observe with him but others as well and ) in particular his heart felt story about be unsure and scar of his true sexuality in a society that purely would not accept him a a homosexual until later on in the film where he be show to be quite snide and rude to other inmate involve in the play a though he deem himself above all of them and in particular to ron who already have a frustrating temperament in his acting . the relationship between all of the inmate involve in the play be show a one of respect and unity to achieve something great for themselves . with nice ( if not clichéd ) motion of time passing by with title etc everything seem to go right in the first act and and then on the build up to the public performance and thing predictably go wrong . an induction of one of the actor be transfer and his character be replace by a young and new inmate give the narrative a nice subplot into someone who promise big and but in the end disappoint all and do not live up to their expectation . one inmate in particular ( big g ) welcome the new inmate actor ( rick ) with an evident will to nurture him into their beloved practise and hopefully become a good role model . the film seem to capture each inmate passion so well with something the audience can relate to especially when rick be put in the hole for get new tattoo ( something nicely hint upon earlier in the film when the warden stop a random inmate in the yard and ask him when he get a tattoo that on his arm and we learn it a punishable offence in the facility ) and big g disappointment be understood deeply . a happy end . it all look great when they be perform successfully ( even be invite to perform elsewhere ) and a sense of real unity echo around them and but in the end and the film bring everyone back down to earth that this be short lived and everything they ever have or want be and will always be take away from them . it be back to prison to pay for their crime and no matter what redemption they seek in act these play and they would not be free men and their proud performance and recognition be undermine by the fact that they be the low of the low criminal and a nice halt in the uplifting music that play in a shot of a long corridor that coincide with the light turn off and door shut be a powerful image of their oppression . the director seem to be aware he be watch likable people in the documentary by give additional information at the end of the film into each actor future from the end of the film about where they be and what happen to them now .