A real Shawshank Redemption question

[crypto]

The consensus seems to be that he would have indeed succumbed to the raw sewage gases… Like those two poor bastards that were in aceplace57’s quoted story.

There are a number of flaws in the movie, and this is just one example. But it doesn’t change my love for the movie. I just wish sometimes that writers/directors did some reseach beforehand to eliminate some of this stuff. But I guess the idea of Andy having to crawl through that pipe wouldn’t have been as dramatic if it was just rain water.

Thanks all!

[crowmanyclouds]

@Stink Fish Pot

The consensus seems to be that he would have indeed succumbed to the raw sewage gases. {…}

For certain definitions of consensus.

CMC fnord!

[Qadgop_the_Mercotan]

Okay, how many of you have actually seen the 1920’s vintage sewer system of an active maximum security prison?

<<Raises hand>>

Our maintenance supervisor tells me that they only need masks when entering the holding tanks, otherwise the pipes can be opened without such equipment. But most of our pipes are no longer big enough to crawl through. Not the active pipes, anyway. No escapes thru the sewers in nearly 100 years at my workplace!

[teela_brown]

This thread made me remember another question I have about this movie, and this is a good place to post it.

How did Andy replace the Raquel Welch poster so perfectly over the tunnel entrance behind him?

[Randolph]

Shhh, don’t think about that part much. Look, over there! It’s a dog made of chocolate!

[Typo_Knig]

As I recall the poster was taped firmly at the top, and less firmly at the bottom. In Red’s recap we see Andy hiding underneath the poster digging into the wall - the poster was draped over him from above. You can see that in this clip: Shawshank - How Andy escaped - YouTube

[Typo_Knig]

Watch the end of this clip. The poster does appear to be stuck at the bottom - it doesn’t fly up when the rock goes through it - but it’s not obvious how firmly it was attached at the bottom. Maybe Andy rigged a string to pull the poster tight behind him. Maybe movies is magic. The Shawshank Redemption - Escape Andy Dufrense - YouTube

[eschereal]

@Shagnasty

The script says explicitly that it was a sewer pipe and that it contained raw sewage.

"He approaches the ceramic sewer pipe and kneels before it.
Pulls out the rock-hammer and says a quick silent prayer.
Raises the rock-hammer high and swings it down with all his
might…

Then that is plain sad, that the script itself contains such a glaring continuity error – unless Andy broke the pipe open, then crawled back into his cell and carefully hid the worn-out little rock hammer back in the bible before going back to the sewer pipe.
As to the poster, I suspect enough of it hung below the hole that its own weight kept it flat when the rock flew through it.

[ctnguy]

@eschereal

Then that is plain sad, that the script itself contains such a glaring continuity error – unless Andy broke the pipe open, then crawled back into his cell and carefully hid the worn-out little rock hammer back in the bible before going back to the sewer pipe.

The warden does open the bible to find the cut-out where the hammer was hidden, but it’s empty. They find the rock hammer outside the prison with his discarded prison uniform.

edit: though, curiously, as filmed he uses a rock to break the pipe open, not the hammer.

[ctnguy]

@Quercus

At which point, now we’re only left with wondering why the primary sewage drain from the prison is running through a wall on the first (or higher?) floor, instead of underneath the basement (or at least far enough underground to be below frost heaves).
isn’t running below the basement

After Andy crawls through the tunnel he does have to climb down what looks like a height of at least two floors to reach the sewer pipe.