|
| • Advanced Search • Help |
Dead Man Walking | Year: 1996 Classification: Drama Actors/Actresses: - Clancy Brown - Sean Penn - Julia Roberts - Tim Robbins - Susan Sarandon - Julia Roberts Became Famous For Her Role In Pretty Woman An Outstanding Movie With Stirring Performances Regardless of your stance on the death penalty, this remains a difficult movie to watch, and perhaps that's exactly what makes Dead Man Walking a great movie. The movie centers around a nun named Sister Helen Prejean (played by Susan Sarandon) who befriends a convicted murderer and rapist named Matthew Poncelet (Sean Penn) who is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection in the State of Louisiana. Poncelet first seeks Sister Helen's help in filing his appeal and obtaining legal representation. She is at his side through all the legal proceedings, and once Poncelet's chances for clemency are exhausted, she then helps him prepare for the execution by giving him spiritual guidance. Sister Helen must also try and allay the hurt and betrayal felt by the parents of the children that Poncelet was convicted of murdering. This movie's greatest strength is the tremendous performances by Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn. Both were given Academy Award nominations for their roles, and Sarandon actually won the Oscar for Best Actress. I would have given this movie a 5 star rating, but I wasn't completely satisfied with the way in which the friendship between Sister Helen and Matthew Poncelet developed. In movies where two people from opposite walks of life come together for a given purpose, both usually walk away a little wiser and with a broader perspective. Sean Penn's character showed these changes, but Susan Sarandon's character was the same at the end of the movie as it was at the beginning. According to this movie, Sister Helen had learned nothing valuable or life-altering from her friendship with Matthew Poncelet. When it first came out, this movie generated a great deal of public discussion about the death penalty. Those who support capital punishment believe that, in theory, there are certain crimes so heinous that those who commit them should be required to forfeit their life as restitution. This movie shows the huge difference between theory and reality. I think people might change their minds about capital punishment once they see that carrying out this theory requires strapping a guy onto a gurney, sticking a needle into his arm, and injecting him with lethal chemicals. I'll probably think about this movie for a long time to come, and it's entirely possible that it may sway my opinion on the death penalty. Regardless of your stance on this controversial subject, this movie is guaranteed entertainment, and a definite must-see! Disturbingly Well-Balanced A double tour de force from writer-director Tim Robbins. After condensing the autobiographical novel in which anti-death penalty proponent Sister Helen Prejean movingly recounted her experiences counseling condemned murderers in Louisiana, Robbins provides a fascinating counter-balance by giving equal emphasis to pro-death penalty advocates as represented by the victim's families. The result? A mature, gripping screenplay that doesn't pretend to provide glib answers to the many difficult questions it raises. Such a powerful script demanded careful casting decisions, and Director Robbins scored a series of coups, assembling a roster of actors at the peak of their talents. Susan Sarandon, a consistently fine actress, glows with inner conviction as Sister Helen, searching to apply spiritual truths in the unfamiliar realm of Death Row. Sarandon's Oscar-winning performance is given an added measure of power by Sean Penn's wrenching portrait of composite killer Matthew Poncelot. Penn is at once loathsome yet pitiable, brutal yet oddly vulnerable; his carefully nuanced performance is the embodiment of Sarandon's line about every person being "better than their worst act". Able support is offered by R. Lee Ermey, Celia Weston, and (especially) Raymond J. Barry as the parents of Penn's teen-aged victims; this trio's raw pain is extremely difficult to reconcile with the compassion that Penn's character tends to demand of the audience. The DVD presentation of this modern classic is beautifully rendered, offering crisp, clear sound and sharp visuals. The carefully composed camera shots are best appreciated in the film's original widescreen aspect ratio. This DVD is highly recommended as an excellent film-to-video transfer of a superb movie, exploring a subject that will no doubt continue to be heatedly debated in American society for many years to come. ROBBINS, SARANDON AT THEIR BEST Tim Robbins made another "political" film." "Dead Man Walking" stayed on an even keel. Starring Sean Penn in a bravura performance as a murderer getting ready for his execution, it takes a surprisingly Catholic point of view, in which Susan Sarandon plays a nun who makes him take responsibility for his actions, ostensibly to save his soul. It could be interpreted as being against the death penalty, but this is actually a stretch. This film is a good example of how much talent Robbins has and how, when he avoids major Left wing politics, he produyces some real genius. STEVEN TRAVERS Buy Dead Man Walking at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on Dead Man Walking Search with the Priority Search Engine on Dead Man Walking This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
|
