Review of Dead Man Walking (1995) by Ian H — 19 Dec 2010
Most films are for entertainment purposes only. Some carry a message that demands to be heard. Few call us to respond with gratitude and deep thanks. Dead Man Walking is one of these few, a searing, multi-faceted, humble examination of capital punishment and the people affected by it, the ones involuntarily brought into it and those who choose to bear witness to it.
This film provides no easy answers. It dares to show the dehumanization of those on death row without condoning their actions, while daring to enter the homes of the families whose loved ones have been violently wrenched from them and who demand justice.
Can a spiritual caregiver be present to both parties? Should one seeking to serve in the way of Christ take sides? The story of Sister Helen Prejean, embodied by Susan Sarandon, portrays this dilemma and not without anguish or ambivalence.
Nowhere else have I seen this courageous actress go to places of such heartrending honesty, daring to show a woman conflicted concerning where she is to go and who she is to support. Sean Penn is quite possibly, as others have claimed, one of the best actors of his generation, one who allows himself to put his own persona aside and let the character he is playing in all his frailty be revealed, and when all is said and done, allow his moral compass to remain intact.
Tim Robbins, as director and guide of this project, I salute you. If only more movies aimed this high, demanding of us more individual introspection and social discussion. Humanity aches to see more films like this.
This is easily one of the best films of the 1990s and any decade.
This review of Dead Man Walking (1995) was written by Ian H on 19 Dec 2010.
Dead Man Walking has generally received very positive reviews.
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