Review of Dead Man Walking (1995) by William B — 15 Sep 2010

Capital punishment has always been frowned upon by people, whether it was the person being hanged or stoned or just because someone believes that it is wrong to kill someone.

Who has possibly killed someone else, since that doesn?t make the executioner any better.

It is illegal in this country but not countries like USA who use a lethal injection to quickly and ?humanely? stop the criminal?s heart and send him peacefully to death.

This is one of the biggest questions around today ?Is capital punishment ever right?? and it is basically as difficult as trying to answer ?Is there really a God?? because people have so many different beliefs and it is impossible to come to a full agreement about it and this is one of the huge themes used in this film which eventually even makes a nun question whether this murderer and rapist should burn in the fires of hell for ever?

Dead Man Walking follows the story of Sister Helen Prejean. She works in a slum with children to try and give them an education so one day they will lead a life better than what there parents have given to them. But when she is contacted by death row prisoner Matthew Poncelet, on death row for raping and killing two teenagers in a woods, she doesn?t realise the kind of experience that she?s going to feel will change her outlook on what?s really right and wrong in this world.

And from the first time she meets Matthew, she sees the confusion in his heart and soul, but she also she?s a man ready to change. But will this possible new man be able to persuade several judges and courts that he shouldn?t be executed? Only Sister Helen will be able to find this out (painfully) over the duration of this two hour masterpiece.

One really strong theme throughout this film is confusion. Sister Helen is torn between the families of the two deceased children, who she visits after seeing Matthew, the murderer of the two teenagers. Each with a heavy heart, each with a scarred mind but also each with so much hate inside in them that they would rather tear each other apart like dogs than sort things out like human beings. This is why Sister Helen is so important, because she?s the middle (wo)man wanting both sides to have peace, but when such a crime has been committed you must have this murderer understand his wrong doings in this world, redemption, a clean soul, a ticket to heaven.

Along with confusion, love, God, faith, truth are also just part of the long list of themes that Robbins crams into most scenes, dialogue and characters and what really portrays this is the excellent camera work and lighting. In such scenes when Sister Helen is asking Matthew questions about his crime the camera showed Helen?s reflection in the glass so it looked like she was in Matthews mind (or she is on his unconscious mind), which is such a passionate scene showing that this nun has got through into the heart and soul of this confused criminal. This is the turning point in the film.

So from the turning point for this murderer, it is also the turning point for Sister Helen, since she feels that she is changing him. But she must also try to bring peace to the parents of the recently deceased teenagers, which will obviously prove a difficulty since in addition with Matthew the two sides are like chalk and cheese. Plus with the two extremes of what the parents went through and how they reacted to the death of their child Sister Helen would have an even more difficult time. So Sister Helen starts to realise that when someone is lost who is very dear to them it is impossible to tell how a person is going to react since death is such a huge idea to understand, how someone can be there and then suddenly gone, like the wind? This showed me that you can watch this film as many times as you want and you?ll find a different issue each time, because it?s so cleverly written.

But nothing can beat the power of the final execution scene. It is brutal, no matter how humane it?s meant to be, it?s so brutal just to watch a man?s life slowly slip away. Even the hateful parents can?t help to feel that small bit of sorrow for a man who has given in from his own evil and is able to accept the sickness of his crime, and feel sorry for the first time in many years. And when Sister Helen reaches out for Matthew, they feel the touch of each other showing the ultimate form of human: A Nun and A Criminal. Right and wrong become one, using this metaphor to show the viewers how difficult it really is to tell if someone should die or not. You must asked yourselves ?What would God do?? and when you think about it The Bible rules over rule some of it?s other rules and it?s impossible to tell anymore, what really is the right answer. Once more showing the difficultly of religion as another one of the major themes.

In the end I suppose this film is very difficult on most of the themes and really tries to get the audience to really argue with themselves on what really happens in this world and what is really right and wrong. Because it?s all opinion in the end and that?s what can turn people on each other over the slightest thing or the biggest thing, and that?s the strongest message you can earn from this film as well as letting your soul be cleansed and finding redemption.

Absolute masterpiece of a film, reached me on an emotional level, and has definitely entered into my top 10 films.

5/5.