"Dead Man Walking" is a powerful film which closely examines one of the current debates raging in our society -- capital punishment.
The film is a true story based on the memoirs of a nun in Louisiana named Sister Helen Prejean. The film powerfully explores all facets of this very complex issue.
Wonderfully directed and adapted for the screen by actor Tim Robbins of "The Shawshank Redemption," "Dead Man Walking" explores the relationship between Prejean (Susan Sarandon), a nun who works with the city poor, and Matthew Poncelet (Sean Penn), an arrogant and racist murderer on death row.
Poncelet is to be executed by lethal injection for the murder of a teenage couple he came upon parked in the woods at night.
Their relationship begins when Poncelet writes Prejean and asks her to help him stop the execution. She agrees to see him and helps him get a lawyer to file for an appeal and a pardon.
The audience learns early on, however, that Poncelet's life will not be spared. The film is not about the struggle to save Poncelet's life, but rather the relationship that forms between him and the woman whom he sees as a last hope for salvation.
When Poncelet learns of his fate, he asks Prejean to be his spiritual advisor. She agrees to do so and spends a great deal of time with him during his final days.
At first, Prejean is not even sure why she agrees to help Poncelet. It is simply a case of an overly compassionate woman who cannot ignore a plea for help.
But a big heart and blind compassion alone could not have kept her by his side until the end. She draws a lot of negative reactions for helping Poncelet. By doing so, she really puts her faith on the line.
Poncelet, himself, is very difficult to deal with. Prejean says it best during one of their first encounters when she states, "You make it so hard to love you, Matthew."
But this is the message of the film --if a person really tries to understand any man, he or she will recognize that person's humanity lying underneath.
Many people may use this film as evidence to show that everyone -- even the outcasts of society -- deserves to be loved and the state fails to recognize capital punishment is unjust.
Prejean's initial blind compassion leads to genuine love for Poncelet. And, as his final days draw nearer, she stays with him to the end.
"Dead Man Walking" holds a powerful message and a "liberal" one at that. But unlike many movies with a moral to the story, it is not one-sided.
The audience is presented with all sides of the issue. While the viewers experience what the two main characters go through, they also see the pain of the victims' families and understand their want for revenge.
For example, the film presents the case from the side of the government as well as that of Poncelet's family. Theoretically, one could leave "Dead Man Walking" with a reinforced view in favor of the death penalty -- as well as a total repudiation of it.
Poncelet is never portrayed as a victim. The viewer always sees him for what he is -- a cold and arrogant sociopath. The audience is constantly reminded of what he did by flashbacks to the crime.
Robbins also does a good job of showing Poncelet mostly behind bars or a glass shield as to not let one lose sight of who Poncelet really is.
By the end of the movie, however,the audience can see the injustice of Poncelet's execution despite his many flaws and awful crimes. The complexity of "Dead Man Walking" is what makes it such a powerful and gut-wrenching film.
By the end, the viewer feels the pain of not only the victims and their families, but also Poncelet. This film is not easy to take.
This is truly an exceptional movie. Sarandon's performance is, as usual, stellar. Penn, with his big hair and nappy-looking goatee, captures not only Poncelet's coldness and arrogance, but also his humanity.
By the film's end, Poncelet gains redemption through his contact with Prejean, and his changes are real. But he does not go through any drastic personality metamorphosis. He is still flawed, but redeemed, and recognizes what he has done.
To put it succinctly, "Dead Man Walking" is powerful and moving, and the performances make it so.
The best part of the film is its ability to present all sides of the issue, and still convince the audience its anti-death penalty message is correct.
"Dead Man Walking" does something that many films of its kind fail to do by capturing the full complexity of a very difficult issue.
