As if Shawshank Redemption isn’t harrowing enough, the sub-plot around Brooks is particularly sad.
Old Brooks was the lifer finally released after serving 50 years, who failed to come to terms with life on the outside.
He had become totally institutionalised and simply couldn’t cope without the thick concrete walls of prison that were the borders to his world over half a century.
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Perversely, incarceration in the cold, unforgiving surroundings of gaol had become his comfort blanket over time. Lonely Brooks met a heartbreaking end in the 1994 movie smash.
The theme surrounding his character relates to how some men simply cannot deal with change no matter how bleak life is where they are.
Harry Kane is hardly desolate at Tottenham and millions of people envy his lifestyle as a Premier League footballer, captain of England, multi-millionaire and example to so many. So let’s get some context here.
However, there is a similar overriding sense that the Spurs striker is finding it harder than he thinks to quit the club after 18 years - less than half of what poor Brooks served.
This week, Kane, one of the most revered strikers in world football who could stroll into any team, dropped a worrying hint that he may be prepared to give the club which has consistently failed to match his level of commitment and quality yet another chance.
By stressing that with ‘the right people’ Tottenham could quickly become competitive again and that he plans to sit down with chairman Daniel Levy for talks during the summer, you can’t help but feel there is a softening on his stance to get out now.
Manchester United are waiting in the wings. As would be most of the top teams in Europe. He has blown his chance of a move to Man City but pick the top team from any of the big leagues on the continent and Kane’s availability would trigger a huge manhunt.
Kane declined to hand in a transfer request when City came after him in 2021. He could have gone then and now would have been chasing the treble.
Instead he is bemoaning another year of failure and deep frustration and turmoil at Tottenham which will end up trophyless with the club managerless.
He has won three Premier League Golden Boots, Spurs Player of the Year twice and Millwall Young Player of the Year when on loan at The Den.
Levy and Tottenham face another huge rebuild to come back from a campaign that has spiralled downwards with them now six points off the Champions League places with only three games left to play.
When Kane rebuffed City two years ago it was on a private promise from Levy that Tottenham would finally break through the barrier of near-misses and bring a trophy home.
League Cup runner-up, Champions League runner-up, European Championship runner-up, Nations League runner-up. More silver than Thiago at Chelsea.
Levy has not delivered on that promise. If anything this season has been the worst of the lot. What started with so much optimism is ending with the team being picked by a third different man and the fans resigned to more years of being also-rans.
The squad is starting to look old too, and that includes Kane, who turns 30 this summer. His valued strike partner Son Heung-min will already be 31 on his mate’s birthday. Captain and Keeper Hugo Lloris looks to be on his way at the end of this dismal campaign.
That leaves Dejan Kulusevski, Pedro Porro and Ryan Sessegnon to lead Tottenham into a golden new era unless Levy gets his wallet out, hardly his favourite pastime.
Kane has been carrying this Tottenham team for too long now. It didn’t go unnoticed that in the abysmal 6-1 pummeling by Newcastle last month, it was Kane who scored the only goal.
He has been holding Tottenham together and his arms must be getting tired.
Kane should have learnt by now that he has to put his head before his heart and take what could be his final opportunity to leave come June.
This time next year he can walk away on a free transfer but by then will be almost 31 and even for a striker of his quality that is on the wrong side of time for a professional football career.
Kane has been incarcerated at Tottenham on a long sentence. Like Brooks, he appears fearful of the big world outside and that is something he needs to conquer.
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