User reviews

Him, along with certain actors are touched by God. Meryl Streep, Kathy Bates, Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman, Katherine Hepburn, Bogart, Anthony Hopkins, Day-Lewis, Denzel, Nicholson, Caine, the list goes on.

My husband and I tend to watch actors that we love and then watch all of their movies. Sean Penn has an amazing body of work. We don't care if an actor truly transforms themselves to play a role (but that's impressive) as much as we care about how authentic a performance is. For example, Michael Caine is pretty much always similar and yet he's compelling in every performance he's ever given. But Sean Penn gives a performance here that is next level. Touched by God is the only way to describe it.

This film is a perfect example of Film as a combination of art and entertainment and social consciousness. "Dead Man Walking" is less about capital punishment than about personal responsibility and redemption. Based on the book by Sister Helen Prejean, who spent many years helping death row inmates come to terms with their crimes and punishments, this film rises above the debate about whether it's wrong to "kill someone to show that killing someone is wrong".

You find yourself caring about everyone in this movie: the young rape/murder victims; their grieving parents, one filled with hate, the other two inconsolable; the parents of the perpetrator of this crime; the nun who tries to do God's work in a place that is literally the last stop before hell for many men; even the prison guards who must do their job calmly and competently as they guide a man across the River Styx.

Sean Penn is an actor on the calibre of James Dean, reaching deep inside himself and putting his emotions on the table. Here, he somehow manages to find the right blend of odious and pathetic, and his portrayal is so very real that it hurts, even though his character is not a nice person at all. Susan Sarandon and hubby-director Tim Robbins have created a masterpiece, which provokes thought and discussion long after the film is over. This movie runs deep, but rather than resort to shameless manipulation and plot devices, it is real, and tough, and touching.

I haven't seen many films that really, truly made me rethink a long-held position or opinion on a thorny issue, but "Dead Man Walking" is one of them.

I read Sr. Helen Prejean's book, upon which this film was based, when it first came out in 1993. At that time I was utterly supportive of capital punishment -- to quote the script, I felt anyone who committed crimes horrible enough to land them on Death Row was an "expendable human being, suckin' up tax dollars." I also had personal experience with the issue when an entire family whom I knew in my childhood were slaughtered by a man who is now on Death Row for his crimes.

As you might imagine, I was disgusted with Sr. Helen's book. I thought that trotting to death row and holding the hand of some scumbag who'd killed innocent people was about the lowest thing anyone could do, and as a Catholic I was offended by the seeming hypocrisy of it.

Because I had disliked the book, I never saw the film until about two weeks ago, when I bought a remaindered copy of it in a video store. I have watched it four times since then, mostly because I am trying to work out my feelings on it. I am still a supporter of capital punishment, but it's going to be less easy for me to ignore the fact that (to quote again), "There's nobody with money on Death Row" -- and quite a few more blacks, now that I think of it, AND the fact that, like Matthew Poncelet's character, the men who are being executed are human beings who have feelings and fears. It's easy to jeer at Matthew on the day before his execution, fretting nervously about whether the lethal injection will "hurt," like a little boy at the doctor's office for a penicillin shot, since his victims' last moments certainly "hurt." What isn't easy is to realize that while the victims of these inmates didn't know they were about to die until it was too late, the inmates themselves have what seems like a blessing at first, but upon deeper examination is the greatest curse: knowing the exact hour and day they will die, and having to face it day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute.

I'm sorry if this review offends people who are sincere death penalty supporters. I still consider myself to be one, but my thinking has been reformed somewhat and I'm more ready to listen to the opponents and try to make compromises; maybe that's what this issue needs more than anything. I will say finally that ONE part of this film did offend me as a Catholic: the symbolic "crucifixion" of Poncelet during the "last words" scene. That was the one place where Robbins strayed from his even-handed approach to the issue -- the only one I could find.

In all, this was a fine film that made me rethink an explosive issue, and I recommend it highly to anyone debating the pros and cons.

I'm astonished how a filmmaker notorious for his political left-wing fervor could make such a subtle, non-sanctimonious picture. If you're for capital punishment, you'll still be for it after seeing this. If you're against capital punishment, you'll still be against it. But whatever your stance is, this movie will, at the very least, make you reflect on why you feel the way you do. There's not one false note in the film.

Tim Robbins did a masterful job directing this film. I say this because he avoided convention and cliché. He also oversaw superb performances from Susan Sarandon (who won an Oscar for her role) and Sean Penn. Even more amazing, Robbins doesn't patronize. He just tells the story and lets the events play on the viewer's mind. This is so effective because it allows the viewer to form his own opinions on the death penalty, one of the most controversial subjects of our time, without being unfairly manipulated in either direction. I can't recommend this film enough, 9/10.

... cascade these three ingredients into the melting pot of literature, cinema, television, social media etc. and catalyse them with a story about the death penalty then you're invariably going to concoct as poisonous a brew that's as acidic as it is caustic, as polarising as any magnet, as contrasting as black and white, night and day, high and low tide. Whatever my views on the subject, I struggled to connect with any of the characters presented (on both sides) as deeply as I would have liked, performances were fine but not outstanding, I'm not sure the story was even that unique or original by todays standards.

The one thing that does irritate however, that societies and cultures fail to resolve the root of the problem, that those with less opportunity continue to lose what little they have and the net that should save people form falling into chaos continually becomes smaller and more threadbare. Ultimately that makes us all culpable for the cause and effect of the world we've decided to inhabit and the unpalatable scenarios it continues to present us with.

In a world in which debatable and misunderstood subjects can be listed endlessly, this powerful 1995 film takes on one at the top of that list; moreover, it does it objectively and realistically, and with a sensibility and sensitivity that makes it a truly great film by anyone's measuring stick. And to add some irony to it all, even the subject matter of this film has been widely misunderstood, as it is wrongly perceived that this is a film about the pros and cons of the death penalty; it is not. At the heart of `Dead Man Walking,' directed by Tim Robbins, is a subject that in reality is possibly the most misunderstood of all, and with good reason, because it just may be the hardest thing there is for a human being to really-- and truly-- understand. And it is what this film is actually all about: Forgiveness. Real forgiveness; not excusing a heinous crime or the perpetrator thereof-- not saying that what's happened is okay-- but finding the strength to go on, and to do so by choosing life.

Director/screenwriter Tim Robbins has crafted and delivered a faithful adaptation of the novel by Sister Helen Prejean, in which she discusses her involvement with the death-row inmates to whom over the years she has ministered her faith in God. As chronicled in the film, what for her was to become a lifelong pursuit of not only justice, but human dignity, began with a simple letter from a death-row inmate at the Louisiana State Prison at Angola. Sentenced to death for rape and murder, Matthew Poncelet (Sean Penn) was reaching out to anyone who would listen, when his letter ended up in the hands of Sister Prejean (Susan Sarandon), who soon found herself venturing into a territory of which she had absolutely no knowledge or experience. And Robbins has successfully captured Sister Prejean's emotional and turbulent journey succinctly, while managing to keep it devoid of any maudlin sentimentality, which makes it not only real, credible and believable, but makes it a poignant and thoroughly emotionally involving experience for the audience. Through the medium of the cinema, what was once a personal, significant emotional experience for Sister Prejean, becomes one for everyone who sees this film, as well.

For her soul-stirring, impassioned portrayal of Sister Prejean, Susan Sarandon deservedly won the Oscar for Best Actress. Sensitive and fraught with emotional depth, her performance is incredibly touching and real, especially in the way in which she conveys Sister Prejean's underlying natural fragility and vulnerability, which she adamantly tempered with the toughness she needed to carry on with her endeavors on behalf of Poncelet (and in reality, a total of five since she began). Whatever your point of view regarding the matters examined in this film, Sister Prejean is without question an individual of heroic proportions, which Sarandon exquisitely personifies here; and she does it without resorting to any superfluous melodramatics, but rather by keeping it real, by subtly and humbly exploring the humanity of the person in a very believable expression of characterization. It's an extraordinary performance, arguably the best of Sarandon's brilliant career.

Turning in a career-best performance, as well, is Sean Penn, who was nominated for Best Actor for his portrayal of Poncelet (he lost out to Nicolas Cage, who won for his performance in `Leaving Las Vegas). Perfect for the part in every way, Penn has quite simply never been better, before or since. He effectively presents Poncelet as a real person, rather than as an overblown caricature of a monster capable of perpetrating the crimes depicted here. Not that it makes Poncelet any less despicable; just the opposite, in fact. It makes it genuinely disconcerting to be faced with the fact that someone who looks like a guy who could live next door to you could be capable of such things. And that's the strength of Penn's performance-- it's so disturbingly real, presented with depth and nuance; you have but to look into his eyes to find the imperfections of a troubled soul. A terrific performance, and -- as good as Cage was in `Vegas'-- Penn should have received the Oscar for it.

In another stand-out performance, Raymond J. Barry is memorable in a supporting role as Earl Delacroix, father of one of Poncelet's victims. With limited screen time, he nevertheless develops his character in such a way that enables you to empathize with him, as well as with Sister Prejean, as it is through him that we are given some insight into just how complex and seemingly tenuous her position is, at least on the surface. Barry presents Delacroix in such a way that gives the necessary balance and perspective to the story, which is ultimately extremely effective and helps to underscore the message of the film.

The supporting cast includes R. Lee Emery (Clyde Percy), Celia Weston (Mary Beth Percy), Lois Smith (Helen's Mother), Scott Wilson (Chaplin Farley), Roberta Maxwell (Lucille Poncelet), Margo Martindale (Sister Colleen) and Jack Black (Craig Poncelet). It is doubtful that this film will change anyone's mind one way or another about the death penalty, but that was never the intention; what was intended, was to make a thought-provoking, emotionally involving film, which is exactly what Robbins has accomplished with `Dead Man Walking.' Regardless of your personal point of view, this film will have an impact, and hopefully will open some minds to the true nature of forgiveness. For, as we see through the character of Earl Delacroix, true forgiveness is not something one merely decides to do, but is a task that can become a lifetime's work. And it's possibly one of the hardest things in life to effectively accomplish; and you come away from this film with an appreciation for individuals like Sister Prejean, who has selflessly dedicated her life to helping those in need, and to filmmakers like Robbins and Sarandon for bringing her to life for millions of people who otherwise would never have known her. I rate this one 10/10.

Susan Sarandon is wonderful in Oscar-winning role as real-life Sister Helen Prejean, an opponent of the death penalty who stirred controversy for befriending a scurrilous killer on Death Row--and finding his heart in the process. Writer-director Tim Robbins, obviously an opponent of the death penalty himself, lays on the life-in-prison propaganda pretty thick and some of his touches are uncomfortable or heavy-handed (especially when killer becomes victim, crucified on the table); however, Robbins handles the actors just right, especially real-life love Sarandon, who has seldom been shown to such an incredible advantage. The snappy repartee in the early part of the picture feels a little 'Hollywood', but Robbins enjoys a good verbal battle and nearly every sequence between Sarandon and Sean Penn is the stuff of powerful human drama. Based upon Sister Prejean's book, this is thoughtful, heady cinema. *** from ****

What's really good about "Dead Man Walking" is that it shows Matthew Poncelet's (Sean Penn) side of the story, but it never portrays him as a hero. We understand that, and Sister Helen Prejean (Susan Sarandon) understands that. Sarandon definitely deserved her Best Actress Oscar for this movie (I can't believe that it took her so long to win one). Never preachy, the movie shows all sides of the story in looking at Poncelet's approaching execution. Among other things, this movie should dispel the notion that they don't make movies like they used to - although this one is over ten years old. A true classic in every sense of the word.

Sarandon plays a nun who decides to act as companion and confessor to death row killer Penn.

A strong film which never pretends that Penn's character is anything other than a killer, but instead follows Sarandon's efforts to get him to accept what he did. The film doesn't make decisions for you around the death penalty or the ambiguity of The Bible which seems to apparently support all sides of the debate depending on your interpretation.

Sarandon's difficult time and frequent clumsiness in balancing her feelings for Penn's character with her sympathy for the parents of the victims is well handled by director Robbins and performed brilliantly by Sarandon.

Not always an easy watch and if you don't believe in state execution, this is certainly one to keep you thinking.

"Dead Man Walking" is one of the most powerful movies I have ever seen. I find it hard to believe that anyone, after having seen the movie, could feel indifferent about the film or its message. Tim Robbins does not try to impose his ideas and beliefs on the viewers, but manages to make a film that are in most ways sympathetic to both views on the death penalty -- whether it is right to murder a murderer or not. I have always known where I stand in this question, even as a child, and this movie -- despite the fact that it does not really take any sides -- made me even surer in my conviction that it can never be right to murder *anyone*.

Sean Penn is absolutely brilliant in his portrayal of Matthew Poncelet, his nomination for an Academy Award was very well-deserved. Even if Nicolas Cage does a great job in "Leaving Las Vegas", I would have been happier if Penn had won the award. Susan Sarandon is also brilliant and she deserved the Academy Award she won. And Tim Robbins certainly deserves the vote I have given this film: 9/10!

It may seem weird that in my one line summary that I said that Tim Robbins is amazing while the film has such great acting and feeling that I mention Robbins. Well, Robbins has proved himself with this film as a incredible film-man, who can act, produce, and now write and direct (even though he made a satire in 1992). He delivers a powerful (if not climatic) film with 2 performances that make this film all the worth while- Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn. Penn (in a Oscar nomination nabbing role) plays a convicted killer of 2 people on death row and Sarandon (in a Oscar nabbing role) as the nun who is trying to redeem him before he passes on. To some it might seem boring that there is no plot and only a story. But to these same people they probably thought Blankman was the best film of the year. A great director (like Robbins) can tell a story and keep (some of) a audience in control and awe. This film does that, without revealing if it is for or against the death penalty. One of the best films of 1995. A+

Tim Robbins's 'Dead Man Walking' is a brave piece of cinema. Though the film is about a man on death row and a nun's struggle to help him, I liked how he presented both sides of the central theme of capital punishment. This isn't a preachy film about capital punishment being wrong or right as I doubt one's opinion would change on that after watching the movie. But, it's more of a subtle movie that tells the story of two people who form an unlikely friendship.

This couldn't have been an easy film to make yet he manages to pull it off. Poncelet is a ruthless murderer and in no way does Robbins condone what he has done but he and actor Sean Penn manage to win Poncelet the viewer's sympathy. The execution is terrific. The last scene particularly stands out. We see, in flashback, what had happened while Poncelet meets his ultimate fate. We see how he and Helen make the final connection, we see remorse in his eyes, we see him dying a slow death and at the same time the horror of the crime is exposed to us. We know that what he did is unforgivable but he finally took responsibility for that which allows us to see him as a human being rather than a ruthless killer. This also makes the whole tragedy more astonishing because you just ponder, like Sister Helen, on how such a normal human being commit such a heinous deed?

Both Sean Penn and Susan Sarandon deliver powerful performances. We pretty much see most of the film from Helen's point of view. Sarandon clearly has put a lot of heart into the role as she skillfully downplays her part showing tremendous depth and pathos. Sean Penn plays his difficult complex character with ease. The supporting cast do well (watch out for a young Jack Black and Peter Sarsgaard).

The score is mesmerizing, especially the Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan tracks. I also felt that sense of isolation that was brought out in the prison scenes. The terrific writing grips the viewer's attention right from the start. Even though we can predict Poncelet's fate, we are drawn into the fascinating transforming journey of these two intriguing characters.

"Dead Man Walking" is a piece of incredible filmmaking. All the acting is top-notch and realistic, and the script examines the issue of the death penalty from both sides, paying equal homage to both. Above all, this is a deeply moving story of redemption, of death with dignity and loss of ego. Any film that deals this courageously and maturely with such incredibly difficult subject matter deserves a rating of 10/10. Thank you, Tim Robbins!

I often think I go into films with the wrong attitude. I go in expecting to be disappointed by what I see, and as a result, I often am. This film is one of the biggest exceptions to this possible. It caught me in an instant and I was mesmorised by the quality of the writing, direction, acting, everything about the film.

I expected to have Tim Robbins' view on the death penalty shoved down my throat, but to tell you the truth, I have no idea whether he is for or against this form of punishment.

I always think a good film is one where I leave talking about it, and the ensuing debate on the relative merits of the death penalty went on for days, surely the mark of a good film, as most are forgotten before I even leave the cinema.

The only problem with this film, is that I see it as a perfect example of how films should be made, and as a result, nothing else manages to live upto it, leading to even more disappointment in other films I see.

I would urge anybody to go and see this film, it is, put simply, a masterpiece.

If I had known what this movie was about (nun tries to save a death row inmate), I probably would not have watched it. However, this movie grew on me before it ended. We are shown a murderer and rapist, a totally despicable man; and the woman of God who tries to fight for his mind and soul. I couldn't get into it at first because I felt no sympathy for him. However, it wasn't about whether I felt sympathy for him or hoped for a successful appeal. It was about taking a monster, an evil man and seeing the humanity in him. In the end, I still felt no sympathy for the man. My opinions on the death penalty did not change. But the journey I took with the character made me both think and feel feelings in ways that few movies can affect me.

This movie plays like a documentary, and I feel that showing the victims' families side of things made this movie stronger.

On the down side, the plot was very very linear. The bad characters are too evil to sympathize with, the good characters act too reasonably to condemn; so there is little room for debate or moral ambiguity. Plus, the constant religiousness didn't help things much. If I had seen this movie a few years earlier, I would have been bored.

6.5/10 (voted 6)

One of the greatest filmed examples of unconditional love ever. Robbins explores the effect our social standing & class position can have on our future, our behavior, & our decisions. It empathizes with Penn but never lets him off the hook, even at the very end. He is forgiven, but responsible. He is punished, yet freed. Sarandon is as masterful as ever, & Penn's ultimate confession to her is full of striking truth & palpable liberty.

Susan Sarandon playing a nun? Sure. Only in the land of make-believe, meaning Hollywood or any other movie setting. Well, at least she's being somewhat true to her beliefs - not religion, of course, but a Liberal cause: being anti-death penalty. That's no surprise, especially with boyfriend and fellow ultra-Liberal Tim Robbins directing the picture. Sarandon, however, does an excellent job in the role of "Sister Helen Prejean." The same holds true for Sean Penn, who plays sleazy murderer "Matthew Poncelet." Well, at the sleazy part was more believable from him, but he's a great actor anyway.

It's a well-told, powerful story and I really appreciated the soundtrack. There is some great music in here.

This is a not a faithful adaptation of the book, as some have said here. A big part of the book by the real Sister Prejean is the Christian forgiveness exhibited by one of the families of the murdered victims, but that is never mentioned in the movie.

I must have seen this movie about four or five times already, and it gets better with each viewing. Suffice it to say: This is the best film I've ever seen. And I think I've seen a lot.

But I've always wondered why this film got so shunned in some reviews or ratings. For example, take the IMDb Top 250. Why does it rank only at #216 (as of today)? Surely, the answer's not in the film itself (because that is nothing but flawless), but in its reception. The film caused controversy in its portrayal of compassion for a convicted murderer and its anti-death penalty attitude. And so, obviously, the more conservative-minded user probably didn't like the film (as you can see from some of the other comments). So DEAD MAN WALKING gets a ranking that's nothing but ridiculous in relation to its quality. Those people didn't understand what the film wanted to say, and maybe they didn't WANT to understand, being pro death penalty. So now I get it: It's all political. You're pro death penalty- you don't like (and therefore don't want to hear) what the film has to say.

I'm truly sorry there are still so many people out there who simply tune out when a new perspective questions their beliefs.

Mr. Robbins, your movie's issue split people's opinions. Some reconsidered their point-of-view, some simply didn't listen, but you made a very important point. Your movie will probably never show up on any "TOP 100 MOVIES OF ALL TIME"-list, but it'll be remembered, long after films like Braveheart or Babe or Apollo 13 (all of which were unjustly preferred over your film at the Oscars 1996) are forgotten. Congratulations, Mr. Robbins, and thank you for this important piece of filmmaking.

Dead man Walking is a powerful film and probably one of the most stunning of 1995. Best acting performance of Sean Penn, and Susan Sarandon is also incredible in that role. The subject is quite disturbing but you have to add this title on your watchlist.

The story of a nun who is assigned to be the spiritual advisor of a man who has only a short time to live before his execution. He has already been on death row for six years. He and another man have been convicted of the brutal murder of a couple out parking in the woods.

The dialogue is fantastic as Sister Helen has meaningful discussions with not only our 'dead man' Matthew Poncelet, but also his family and the families of the victims involved. The film builds in intensity until unleashing a stunning and gripping conclusion that left me deeply moved. It's also an educational piece on the lethal injection process, something most people would have no clue about before viewing this film. Both Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn exhibit phenomenal acting from beginning to end. You can see real emotion in their faces and movements especially towards the end. There's not one moment in the film that feels unnecessary, not one moment in the film that seems contrived. Everything feels real and the direction (from Tim Robbins, who played the main character in The Shawshank Redemption only a year earlier) attests to its greatness.

It's a bit of casting cleverness that Scott Wilson - who played one of the two killers in 1967's "In Cold Blood" - is playing a chaplain here.

A couple of points - Matt starts out manipulative with Prejean even trying some pedestrian jail house come on initially, but she lets him know where things stand right off the bat. I wonder if he would have ever taken responsibility for what he did and admitted his crimes to Sister Prejean if he was not about to be executed. Bravado seems to be a big part of his identity. He ultimately admits he would not have been in the woods doing what he did to get to death row if he had the courage to stand up to his crazy companion and just walk away.

And this is the thing about these kinds of cases, the individual is on trial, but often it is two people together each of whom can't back down in the presence of the other who do the most gruesome crimes. It really is the bad company they choose and poor impulse control when free to make those choices that leads to their downfall. Some call it the synergy of evil.

Based on a real life nun from New Orleans who worked w death row inmates and who has been v outspoken about the death penalty.

Sean Penn does a great job as the tortured soul who regrets his mistakes.

It is a great movie about a v serious topic. The death penalty. Is it humane? Should we do it or are all criminals capable of being reformed?

It makes us look at a criminal who has been given the harsh sentence of the death penalty and what anguish he goes through. Susan Sarandon plays the nun who goes there to offer him spiritual guidance.

At the end, she is the only person he has to talk to and confide in.

"Giving aid and comfort to the enemy." That's what this film is about. The victims suffered. The perpetrator is given sympathy and comfort. Just another realistic but utterly disgusting depiction of the vile people who care more about coddling evil than the victims. Another symptom of an absolutely perverse society that refuses to acknowledge right and wrong and personal responsibility.