The Shawshank Redemption (1994) is one of the best films ever made as it teaches several important lessons about life. It also teaches a lot about business. The movie tells a story about a successful banker who is accused of murder. He is sentenced to two life imprisonments. He becomes an inmate in the Shawshank prison, where his persistence and wits help him survive and become free.
It is necessary to note that the prison is a very specific place where the right and the wrong are somewhat distorted. Therefore, entrepreneurship is manifested in a very specific form. Nonetheless, it is still possible to identify at least three archetypal entrepreneurs in the movie.
In the first place, this is the protagonist, Andy Dufresne, who is a successful banker. He is a well-educated professional who can make money. He sees a lot of business opportunities in many situations. He assists the chief guard to avoid paying much in taxes.
He also develops a business scheme for the warden. Andy can be characterized by such qualities as resourcefulness, persistence and ability to analyze risks. Andy is resourceful as he has loads of ideas. He is persistent as he continues working on his major project, i.e. his escape from the prison. He also can analyze situations properly and he understands which risks should be avoided.
Another entrepreneur in the film is the warden, Samuel Norton. Of course, it is necessary to note that only the general idea of entrepreneurship is used. Norton decides to start up a business and take some risks in order to gain profit. His business is illegal since he uses inmates as workforce and gets kickbacks from his clients. Remarkably, Norton can be regarded as an example of a bad entrepreneur. Apart from starting up an illegal business, he has qualities which make him unsuccessful. Norton is able to see business opportunities.
Thus, he uses Andy as his tool to make money as Andy generates business ideas. However, Norton is not quick-witted enough. He has to rely on his subordinate. At the same time, he does not understand that he puts too much pressure on the subordinate and forces him to start up his own business. Norton also fails to analyze risks properly. All these factors lead to his total failure. His illegal activity is revealed and he kills himself to avoid imprisonment.
One more entrepreneur is Brooks who is a well-educated man who can manage specific operations. He manages the prison’s library and he is able to live quite a good and peaceful life in the prison. Nonetheless, he is absolutely unable to adjust to new circumstances. When he is freed on parole, he cannot start living a new life in the world which has significantly changed. He commits suicide.
These three archetypal entrepreneurs can help people to learn more about successful entrepreneurship. Thus, if one has to rely on somebody, it is necessary to be sure that there is loyalty and transparency.
It is also important to analyze risks properly. It is essential to adjust to the changing environment as it is vital in the contemporary business world. Finally, it is necessary to be persistent and never give up working on projects. Basically, Andy Dufresne can be regarded as a model entrepreneur who is resourceful, well-educated and persistent.