About this quote

From The Shawshank Redemption (1994), this line is voiced by Ellis Boyd "Red" Redding as he considers the reality of long incarceration. It appears during a moment of reflection about what a life sentence actually removes from a person. The plain, resigned wording and Red's calm narration make the line stick in the viewer's mind. It's often remembered for how compactly it captures the film's bleak atmosphere.