Dead Man Walking (1995)

“I want the last face you see in this world to be the face of love, so you look at me when they do this thing. I’ll be the face of love for you. ” – Sister Helen Prejean

Number of Times Seen – 2 (Video in the 90’s and 1 Aug 2018)

Brief Synopsis – A nun visits a an on death row in order to try and get him to confess his crimes before his execution which will allow him entry into Heaven.

My Take on it – This is not an easy film to watch and I have avoided seeing it for over twenty years because of that.

Tim Robbins does a great job directing this film and it can easily be seen that this was a passion project for him.

The cast is superb with Sean Penn and Susan Sarandon both giving Oscar nominated performances.

Sarandon deservingly won because she gives such a subtle performance in this role.

The story being told isn’t an easy one to digest and they do a wonderful job trying to make us understand the various viewpoints when dealing with the subject of capital punishment.

They manage to give us a very intimate look at the final days of a man on death row who is torn as to whether he should open up to a clergy(wo)man because it requires him to understand what he truly believes.

The film is shot from a very intimate perspective which gives the viewer the feeling as if they are right next to the characters during their various conversations throughout.

Bottom Line – Both Sarandon and Penn are superb here and Sarandon deservingly won Best Actress at the Oscars for this performance. The story isn’t an easy one to digest yet they manage to try and make us understand the various viewpoints when it comes to the issue of capital punishment. We get an intimate look as the final days of a convicted man who must decide whether to bear his heart to a clergy(wo)man while trying to discover what he himself truly believes. Robbins does a great job directing this film in a way that we feel as if we are in the room with these characters at the most intimate moments possible. Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – After being told that she would be played in the film by “a famous actress from Thelma & Louise (1991)”, Sister Helen Prejean was introduced to Susan Sarandon and said “Thank God, she’s Louise.” (From IMDB)

Rating – Globe Worthy (8/10)

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