Most of the film is set in a fictional state penitentiary in Maine, called Shawshank Prison.

Prison is shown as an alternative reality, an environment which puts pressure on people and reveals their true personal qualities.

The social world of the prison dominates the film. In prison, the outside world and guilt or innocence seem irrelevant. The prison culture is focussed on individual survival and security. The scene near the start of the film which shows the mocking of ‘new fish’, powerfully illustrates this culture. Individual strength, both physical and mental, is all important in the battle to survive.

Another significant setting in the film is the Rooming House, where both Brooks and Red stay after each is released from prison. This setting is used to further explore the ideas of institutionalism and hope. Brooks and Red respond differently, Brooks commits suicide and Red sets out to follow Andy to Mexico.

The different locations/sets link closely to the film’s themes. The prison walls, bars and fences represent oppression – they take away hope, individuality and freedom. The rooming house echoes Shawshank – dark walls, confined/small.

The world outside the prison is light and expansive – the countryside around Buxton and the Pacific Ocean. These are the symbols of hope and freedom. Zihuatenejo (on the coast of Mexico) represents freedom, hope and the ‘get busy living or get busy dying’ philosophy. Andy tells Red that the Mexicans say the Pacific has no memory. To Andy, Zihuatenejo is a place of renewal and freedom from the past – his redemption.