Review of Dead Man Walking (1995) by Terry E — 11 Oct 2011

I saw this in class yesterday, and I seriously had to hold it together emotionally and not embarrass myself. Actually, I probably wasn't the only one in class who felt that way, so I shouldn't have been too embarrassed.

Man, this is one moving, powerful film. Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn bring two virtually unmatchable performances here. And who would have thought that, with their help, writer/director Tim Robbins would create one of the most spiritual films I've ever seen. I don't know if this was Robbins' intention, but this is essentially the gospel in movie form. Yeah, yeah, he was probably more concerned with making an anti-death penalty film than he was a "pro-Jesus" film, but the result is something that embodies both philosophies in an equally powerful way, and surprisingly, neither message ever gets preachy, or is represented in a simple, black-and-white manner.

I've personally always been conflicted with the issue of the death penalty. It's not that this movie raises issues that I've never considered, but it kind of reinforces the doubts and concerns that have always been there. It's good to question your own positions, and discuss them respectfully with others. Watching this movie made me do both of those things.

But this isn't just another movie with a political message. It's a powerful story, and it has some absolutely amazing acting in here. This one stays with you for a while.