Review of Dead Man Walking (1995) by The Critic ( — 08 Oct 2013

The sort of emotions that 'Dead Man Walking' evoke is a testament to Tim Robbins' treatment of Sister Helen Prejean's 1993 book of the same name, based on her experiences with death row inmates at the the Louisiana State Penitentiary. She is portrayed by Susan Sarandon, who captures Prejean's internal struggle with the job at hand and dealing with the confusion and anger of those around her (depicted by a solid supporting cast, including Raymond J. Barry, Celia Weston and R. Lee Ermey as the victims' parents) and hatred spurred by an initially unrepentant Matthew Poncelet; an outstanding Sean Penn in an amalgamation of convicted murderers Elmo Patrick Sonnier and, particularly, Robert Lee Willie. Roberta Maxwell, as his mother, is also quite remarkable.

The contrast and distance between Prejean and Poncelet is immediate, shot from the other's point-of-view with a barrier in-between them, symbolising the obstruction of clarity that each needs to truly understand the other. It's simple metaphors such as this that make 'Dead Man Walking' an in-depth, thought-provoking and truly touching piece of filmmaking. The expression of love from Prejean to a pride-laden Poncelet sets to make a statement about humanity as much as it does about faith. And what a statement it is.

Robbins has constructed a beautiful tale, using creative license to enhance and not to exploit. But it all comes down to the integrity of the performances from Sarandon and Penn (awarded with an Oscar and a Silver Bear respectively) who, throughout the emotionally draining final act, present an unlikely couple who share a powerful trust and love for one another.