" The truth will set you free "

Dead Man Walking

Sister Helen Prejean (Susan Sarandon) is a well liked nun and teacher who supports the less advantaged in her community. One day she receives a letter from a man on Death Row who has been committed for the rape and murder of two young teenagers. The man in question, Matthew Poncelet (Sean Penn) seeks out the sister as his final chance for a retrial. It soon becomes clear that Matthew's execution will be carried out and Sister Helen remains as a spiritual councilor trying to get Matthew to admit his crimes and achieve a degree of redemption for his sins. Sister Helen becomes Matthews last form of comfort and guidance as he struggles to admit his crimes and accept his fate.

Director Tim Robbins handles the sensitive topic with the utmost care, showcasing immense skill for only his second directorial effort. When dealing with powerful themes in cinema often a film will fail to reach the necessary emotional heights or try too hard, creating a film that is over dramatic and theatrical. Luckily Robbins gets it right and is able to do justice to the true story of Sister Helen.

The film focuses predominantly on the two characters and Robbins gets straight to the point in setting the scene. Sister Helen is a compassionate woman who has devoted herself to religion and the goodwill of others, whereas Poncelet is a convicted criminal of the most heinous crimes. As Sister Helen becomes drawn into the life of Poncelet, everyone around her feels confused as to why she continues to guide and support such an awful man. The nature of the facility and the steadily approaching date of his execution overwhelms her, yet she maintains her position as his councellor believing she can help him. This in turn becomes a beautiful friendship as she successfully begins to reach out to Poncelet. Never in the film are we made to see Poncelet as a good man, a man who deserves to be released or for this to be the perceived desire of Sister Helen. This is a film that explores the complex and controversial issue that is corporal punishment.

There is no doubt that this is one of those films that takes your breathe away, it is a tragic, painful and haunting film to watch influenced greatly by the interwoven flashbacks to the night of the murders. However at the same this is a film of undisputed beauty, whether its depicted in the kindness from Sister Helen, the intelligent filmmaking or the heartbreaking score. Perhaps the most effective aspect is that the film doesn't resort to preaching, instead you are left to make up your mind. As a result you are left evaluating the issue long after the film has ended, contemplating whether or not lethal injection is an acceptable means to die, whether or not it is ethical to kill someone convicted of a capital crime or whether or not it is our right as a society to kill a man at all. As is said in an accurate depiction of reality "It's easy to kill a monster. It's hard to kill a human being".

This is a film that could be used as a masterclass of acting. Susan Sarandon at the time was the wife of Robbins and she proves she was not simply cast due to her relationship with the director. She delivers a heartbreaking and captivating performance, portraying powerful emotions in virtually every scene. She was a worthy winner of her Oscar, except she should have been sharing it with her husband and fellow cast member Sean Penn. Penn is one of those rare actors that can deliver a memorable performance despite the genre. He has proven time and time again his skill as an actor and coming into this film you expect him to deliver a performance full of emotion and passion that is worthy of an Oscar and he certainly delivers.

This is an exhausting and emotionally draining film, however don't be put off as it is a film that deserves to be watched. Dead Man Walking showcases beautiful acting performances and exceptional directing talent while all the while dealing with one of the most contentious topics in modern society. The literal title acts as a constant reminder to the inevitable end to the film but Robbins ensures that the journey on Death Row is portrayed respectfully, with the final scenes being the most moving and memorable.