Dead Man Walking (DVD)

You can probably tell from its title that Dead Man Walking is not exactly a barrel of laughs, but if you're after a powerful, thought-provoking (if flawed) film, it fits the bill perfectly. Dead Man Walking is based on the true story of nun Sister Helen Prejean's experiences with Matthew Poncelet, a Death Row inmate, condemned to death for the rape and double murder of a woman and her boyfriend. Initially dragged reluctantly into the case, Helen soon finds herself fighting to save both the life and the soul of Poncelet. All of which sounds a little bit worthy, and it's true that at times the tone of Dead Man Walking is a little too sincere. Although ...  Read the complete review

Based on a true story, Dead Man Walking is the story of a nun who befriends a man on death row after receiving letters from him asking her for guidance. Following an emotional journey into the life of a murderer, Dead Man Walking truly is a moving film that will capture your emotions right from the start. *** Cast and Crew *** Tim Robbins is the director of this film but he is more famous for his acting roles in films such as ‘Austin Powers – The Spy Who Shagged Me’, ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ and ‘High Fidelity’. Trying his luck in directing, he proves that he is more than just a pretty face by delivering this Oscar worthy film. Susan ...  Read the complete review

Introduction Having recently seen Capote, a film about an author's relationship with a murderer on Death Row, a friend reminded of Dead Man Walking, a film about a nun's relationship with a murderer on Death Row, which I had not yet seen. Based on the true story of Sister Helen Prejean, the film made a big splash at the time (1995); with feelings running high about the idea of someone, especially a nun, taking so much trouble over a killer. In some ways, it was a shame that I had seen Capote first; it was so outstanding, that it is hard for anything to compare. However, Dead Man Walking is still an excellent film in its own right and is well worth watching. ...  Read the complete review

This film confronts many emotions in its viewers; it certainly isn't suitable for an evening of 'light' entertainment by any means. But don't let that put you off. There are times when the 'heavy' films need to be watched. The majority of the film consists of a nun, Sister Helen Prejean (Susan Sarandon), counselling a death row prisoner, Matthew Poncelet (Sean Penn). This counselling consists of her trying to help him accept his imminent death and admit his guilt. We are shown at the beginning how Poncelet tortures and kills his victims, so there is no question of his innocence, in either our minds or Sister Helen's. The fact that we ...  Read the complete review

Having read the book I was eager to watch the film "Dead Man Walking", especially given the write-ups for Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn. On the whole the film delivers. After spending the first half of the film largely sitting and nodding Sarandon comes into her own as the compassionate nun, Sister Helen Prejean. There is one particular moment where Sarandon sounds almost motherly in saying "I am not going to do that!", a line which to me showed how determined she was to not walk away from the situation she found herself in. For me though the star of the film is Penn, who with a tough part to play is outstanding in displaying a vast ...  Read the complete review