Review of Dead Man Walking (1995) by Sherry R — 29 Oct 2013

Dead Man Walking is a film important for me to see solely because the fact that Susan Sarandon, one of my all time favourite actresses finally won her long-deserved Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in it, makes it an absolute necessity for me to witness.

Tim Robbins' direction on Dead Man Walking proves to be not beneficial, but necessary. His treatment of the story ensures that it maintains its importance and depth within its exploration of dark themes and development. It's a simple one with its key source of power coming from the themes it goes into understanding, which it clearly has a valid understanding of. Dead Man Walking is consistently a strong story which has surprises in it too, and for the right viewer can give a restored religious faith to. For me however, I got a sense of real humanity from it, and that made it strong. It even has all the skilful cinematography and musical score that it needs to be a powerful technical achievement.

Dead Man Walking is a touchy topic since it explores the death penalty in the unsupportive manner, delving into the depth of its characters and reminding us that they are all humans and none of them deserve the death penalty. It reminds us that everyone is human, and the characters develop well alongside the story to ensure that this is agreed upon by the audience. The cast makes sure of this seriously well, and matched with Tim Robbins' gentle direction the story flows with them.

Susan Sarandon makes a wonderful and lovely lead as Sister Helen Prejean as she ensures the audience never labels her on her role as a sister but emphasises how figures in the story do that through her sweet and natural ability to communicate with other characters, as well showing off her ability to do that with viewers. Susan Sarandon delivers the coup de grace of her 4 previous Academy Award nominations by scoring a deserving win this time, and she is truly unforgettable. Then again, she always is.

And Sean Penn is at a surprisingly excellent height in Dead Man Walking, because the whole story he's so strong at convincing his determined humanity and can flip the story around in a second without affecting the viewer's sympathy for him but actually enhancing it if anything, and he incorporates a look which hints at the stereotypical criminal appearance while failing to let audiences automatically convict him. The story dives into the depth of Matthew Poncelet really well, and Sean Penn never lets viewers down but rather does an exceptional job.

R. Lee Ermey also does a good job, as does a young Jack Black in a small part.

So in the end, as cleverly insightful as it is powerfully dramatic, Dead Man Walking is a well acted and skilfully directed drama which isn't one to ever forget.