The Shawshank Redemption Shock Rating

R

Shawshank was rated 'R,' although some of the more desensitized viewers among us might wonder why. There was zero boobage and buttage, no guts being sprayed all over the camera lens, so where did this rating come from?

The MPAA attributes the rating to language and prison violence, although it was almost certainly the prison violence that contributed mainly to the film's adult skew. There are a couple of rough scenes in there, especially with Hadley taking out a couple of inmates, and Bogs welcoming Andy to one of the harsh realities of prison life.