"I want the last thing you see to be the face of love." Sister Helen

Dead Man Walking (1995)

This is a movie I swore I had reviewed before but when I thought of it again I realized I had somehow missed it - unless the Epinions data base is messed up - but that couldn't be...

Anyway, Dead Man Walking is a remarkable film and one that really gets behind the prison walls showing the life of a man on death row, waiting to ride that chemical train to nirvana.

Based on the book Dead Man Walking by Sister Helen Prejean - a vocal opponent of the death penalty, the film starred Susan Sarandon as the sister and Sean Penn as Mathew Poncelet - the object of her quest to save somebody - anybody - from the death penalty. 

Poncelet was a composite character of two of Prejean's - I don't want to say victims - let's say objects of her attention.  Tim Robbins directed the movie from his adaptation of Sister Prejean's book. 

Although I found the movie manipulative as he#% it was very effective.  It turned the viewer's sympathies from the victims of a violent crime to the perpetrator, Matthew Poncelet, and kept you with him the entire time he waited for the drip - drip - drip of the lethal injection and even through the execution.  Clearly a person would have to be inhuman to not feel for anyone in those circumstances and I did - I admit it - and I admired the filmmaking skill of Robbins, Sarandon, Penn, and supporting cast but felt their efforts could have been spent on a better cause than that.   As we say in Georgia, some people need killing, and there is no way I believe that society needs to burden itself with keeping a degenerate killer and rapist alive to make some activist feel fulfilled.

Well, the killer (Sean Penn) is on death row, convicted of murder and rape, and he is a piece of work with homemade tats and a goatee - a guy you can hate at first sight and he writes to the Sister (Susan Sarandon) to come visit him before the big day - his execution day, that is.  When she gets there she is stunned at the heavy atmosphere and decides Matthew, despite his attitude and appearances, needs a reprieve. Well, her appeals do not scare up much sympathy and she begins to try to save his soul, since that is soon going to be separated from his body. At the last minute Penn does confess to the Sister and she comforts him and goes with him the last mile and says I love you, and he says the same, too.

The movie does a great job of setting up all the questions and the camera angles and setups by Robbins are very well chosen. Sister Helen visits Matthew's mother and the victims' parents who give her a rough time yet she is humble and friendly to all. 

Susan Sarandon received the Best Actress Oscar, while Sean Penn who did as well with his character, was nominated but did not win, Tim Robbins was also nominated as Best Director but lost.  Supporting cast included Robert Prosky, R Lee Ermey, Raymond J Barry, and Celia Weston.  All did their roles proud.

The MGM DVD presents the 122 minute color movie in 1.85:1 theatrical format.  

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV