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Dead Man Walking
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October 7, 1997 "Please retry" | — | 1 |
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Genre | Drama |
Format | Closed-captioned, Multiple Formats, Color, Full Screen, Subtitled, Dubbed, Dolby, NTSC, Widescreen, Letterboxed See more |
Contributor | Tim Robbins, Margo Martindale, Roberta Maxwell, Helen Prejean, Lois Smith, Barton Heyman, Celia Weston, Sean Penn, Susan Sarandon, Raymond J. Barry, Scott Wilson, R. Lee Ermey, Robert Prosky, Steve Boles See more |
Language | English |
Runtime | 2 hours and 2 minutes |
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Product Description
Based on a true story, Matthew Poncelet is the convicted killer of two teenage lovers, awaiting his sentence on Death Row in rural Louisiana. In response to his letter, the outspoken Sister Helen Prejean visits him in prison sworn to help him truthfully and spiritually prepare for his death by lethal injection after a recent appeal to reconsider his punishment was declined.
Product details
- Aspect Ratio : 1.85:1
- Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
- MPAA rating : R (Restricted)
- Product Dimensions : 0.57 x 5.33 x 7.55 inches; 2.4 ounces
- Item model number : MFR027616784926#VG
- Director : Tim Robbins
- Media Format : Closed-captioned, Multiple Formats, Color, Full Screen, Subtitled, Dubbed, Dolby, NTSC, Widescreen, Letterboxed
- Run time : 2 hours and 2 minutes
- Release date : October 2, 2012
- Actors : Susan Sarandon, Sean Penn, Robert Prosky, Raymond J. Barry, R. Lee Ermey
- Dubbed: : French
- Subtitles: : Spanish
- Language : Unqualified, English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
- Studio : 20th Century Fox
- ASIN : B00000K0DQ
- Writers : Helen Prejean, Tim Robbins
- Number of discs : 1
- Best Sellers Rank: #34,176 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
- #5,598 in Drama DVDs
- Customer Reviews:
Customer reviews
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Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
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Sarandon, who's previous Oscar nominations came from Atlantic City (1981), Thelma & Louise (1991), Lorenzo's Oil (1992), and The Client (1994) - is in TOP form here. She won the Oscar over a very heavy list of powerful performances. They included Golden Globe winner Sharon Stone in Casino, Meryl Streep in The Bridges of Madison County, Elisabeth Shue (Critics Darling) for Leaving Las Vegas, and the wonderful Emma Thompson in Sense and Sensibility.
But Sarandon is able to reach into true introverted places in our hearts. She is a saint in every way of the word, and has such passive chemistry with Sean Penn (who is also very sexy) that you forget about the tragic episodes that lead to this, and instead enjoy the characters. It is not an easy sit, but I've seen Dead Man Walking for ages and this is the first time I truly broke down.
Nominations included Best Actor for Penn (losing to Nicolas Cage in Leaving Las Vegas), Best Director for Tim Robbins (losing to Mel Gibson for Braveheart), Adapted Screenplay (losing to Emma Thompson for Sense and Sensibility) and Best Song "Dead Man Walkin'", losing to "Colors of the Wind" from Pocahontas.
Rated R for Violence, Rape, Language and Adult Content.
Dead Man Walking a film by Tim Robbins is based on actual events. Susan Sarandon portrays Sister Helen Prejean a nun who is in prison ministry and becomes pen-pals with a condemned inmate Matthew Poncelet. Sister Helen went to the prison just to talk with him and get him to accept Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior before he was scheduled to be executed.
Sean Penn portrays Matthew Poncelet a man who was convicted of killing two teenagers and sentenced to die. I would also like to add that Sean's portrayal of Matthew Poncelet (this is not the real life name of the actual person that this movie was based on.) was very moving so much so that it actually made me cry.
What I loved about this movie was that it raised a lot of questions on the issue of capital punishment. The Bible says "Thou Shall Not Kill" but, The Bible also says "An Eye for an Eye" As you watch this film you will see how the victims family and rightfully so want Matthew Poncelet to die. They feel that this is the right thing to do. However, Sister Helen brings up some startling points like just because someone committed a horrible crime does that mean that he or she does not deserve to hear about God's love and His forgiveness and to be treated like a human being during their last days? This film after you watch it will make you ask these questions. (At least it did for me)
I'm so glad I bought this film because it does truly make you wonder what is truly the right and wrong way to handle situations like in the case of Matthew Poncelet.
The only thing I was really disappointed with was the ending because the ending in the movie differs from the actual events that had taken place which I don't understand but, other than that I have no complaints and I really do think that anyone who is torn on the issue of capital punishment or lean to one side over the other should see this film because it does not only show the victim's families point of view but, you also get to see things through the eyes of someone who is convicted of a crime. So this is why I love this film because it doesn't just focus on one point of view but, both points of view.
I was deeply moved to say the least, and found the movie very well acted, directed and produced. Both Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn delivered incredibly powerful performances, I felt, as did many of the supporting actors. The level of emotional intensity maintained throughout the film left me feeling rather overwhelmed.
Interestingly, Sister Prejean said that the Sean Penn character was actually a composite of two different death row inmates for whom she served as spiritual advisor and whose executions she witnessed. One, she said, was hardened to the end, and while not claiming innocence, never accepted responsibility for the crimes he committed or expressed any semblance of remorse. The other, she said, did at some point become completely honest with her about his crimes, expressing deep regret and she felt she was able to help him come to terms with what he had done and find some degree of peace prior to his execution. Sister Prejean had been spiritual advisor for three condemned men at the time I heard her speak, two of which died in the electric chair.
Now here's the real twist: I am a recovering drug addict (26 years clean) and, quite a number of years back, was sponsoring a young addict who relapsed and in the process committed a double homicide, was convicted of two counts of 1st degree murder and sentenced to death. For the ten years or so that he was on death row I was almost his only connection to the outside world. While he did get a spiritual advisor very close to his execution, I was with him right to the end. Had I not heard Helen Prejean speak and seen this film (and then read the book), I don't know if I would have had the courage to try to be there for him in the small ways that I could.
Top reviews from other countries
Es gibt wohl niemand, der von Tim Robbins Film nicht gepackt würde – zu einfühlsam – und zugleich distanziert – ist seine Regie, zu fundamental das Thema Todesstrafe und zu eindringlich die beiden Hauptdarsteller Sean Penn als Todeskandidat Matthew und Susan Sarandon als die Nonne Helen, die ihn in den letzten Wochen seines Lebens begleitet. Der Film ist ein Klassiker, die beiden Darsteller zeigen mehr als brillantes Können, sie sind empathisch mit ihren Personen, mit der Geschichte, mit dem Thema.
Was man als tief berührter Zuschauer oft vergisst – der Film stellt (freilich dramaturgisch bearbeitet) die Realität dar, und alles geht zurück auf die existierende Ordensschwester Helen Prejean, die aus ihren Erfahrungen der Begleitung von Todeskandidaten das Buch „Dead Man Walking“ geschrieben hat. Eine bewundernswerte Person, nachdenklich, empathisch, einfühlsam, kenntnisreich – eigentlich ist sie es, die diesen Film geprägt hat. Aus ihrer Arbeit – sie hat 1984 zum ersten Mal einen Mörder in den Tod begleitet – hat sie den Standpunkt entwickelt, dass die Todesstrafe ein fundamentales Unrecht ist, selbst wenn sie so „schonend“ vollzogen wird wie durch die Giftspritzen. Selbst ohne Erschießungspeloton oder Galgen – der amtlich-bürokratisch vollzogene Mord bleibt ein Mord und ist letztlich eine Perversion. In einem Interview (nicht auf der DVD) gibt sie zu bedenken, dass der Verlust einer ermordeten Person nicht durch eine weitere ermordete Person ausgeglichen werden kann – für die Familie des Opfers wie für die des Täters bleibt es irreversibler Verlust: „Death penalty really doesn’t help anybody.“ Helen Prejean wurde in der Realität dafür angegriffen, als sie bei einer Exekution spontan betete: „Gott vergib uns, Gott vergib allen, die an dieser Exekution teilnehmen.“ Sie habe die Opfer als schuldig dargestellt, ihr Gebet sei „politisch“ gewesen. Und hält man sich vor Augen, dass, wie ferner aus ihrem Interview hervorgeht, die Familie eines Opfers seither an allen Exekutionen teilnimmt, die sich ihr bieten, kann man ahnen, wie schwer es für diese Frau sein muss, weiterhin zu verstehen – alle Seiten.
Sie hat, verstärkt durch diesen Film, in den USA eine Diskussion über die Todesstrafe erst in Gang gesetzt – mit unterschiedlichem, aber nicht wirklichem Erfolg. Man sieht die Gesichter der beiden Darsteller und vergisst sie nicht wieder: Sean Penn als narzisstischen Killer, der nach sechs Jahren Haft behauptet, unschuldig zu sein, und im Laufe der Tage mit Helen (sie heißt im Film wie die reale Person) allmählich Emotion zulässt, eine andere Würde entwickelt, indem er gegen Ende sein Verbrechen zugibt und in Tränen ausbricht. Sean Penn unfassbar ergreifend, die Rolle muss ihn selbst emotional angestrengt haben, bei so etwas hilft keine Erfahrung, kein antrainiertes Können. Und ihm gegenüber das sensible, einfühlsam verstehende Gesicht und die großen Augen Susan Sarandons, sicherlich selber nachvollziehend die schockierende reale Erfahrung der Nonne (die stets in ziviler Kleidung auftritt), dass vor den Augen der Opferfamilien durch kalten Verwaltungsakt ein Mensch in den Tod befördert wird.
Man könnte endlos über das schreckliche Thema nachdenken und diskutieren – es gibt keine Lösung. Das Einzige, was einen an dem Film etwas stört, sind Helens Ratschläge an den Todeskandidaten, die Bibel zu lesen… als würde Religion welcher Art auch immer an der Situation des Todes etwas ändern. Aber man muss akzeptieren, dass Helen Prejean ohne ihren Glauben der Herausforderung dieser ihrer Arbeit vielleicht nicht standgehalten hätte.
原作者でもあり、本作の主人公の一人でもあるシスター・ヘレンが、ある一人の死刑囚との対話を通じて、自身の「死」というものに対する考えを、「苦悩」と「救い」という様々なステップを踏みながら学んでいく過程を丁寧に描いた心揺さぶられる作品。
本作でアカデミー賞を受賞した、シスター・ヘレンを演じた、スーザン・サランドンの演技はもちろん素晴らしいのですが、とりわけ死刑囚を演じたショーン・ペンは、単なる「殺人鬼」という存在から最終的に「一人の人間」へと昇華していく過程を、細かな表情や視線だけで見事に表現しております。
ラストシーンでの、被害者のBodyと、死刑囚のBodyとを対比させることで、「人間の「死」というものの「価値(意味)」に違いはあるのか?」という、根源的な問いかけが我々に投げかけられます。
本作は、単純に死刑制度の是非を問う作品ではなく、我々自身が、このティム・ロビンスからの問いかけに、シスター・ヘレンと同様に、悩み、苦悩しながら、(「答え」には到達出来ないながらも)何かしらの「救い」を見いだすきっかけを与えてくれているのではないかと感じました。
四半世紀以上も前の作品ではありますが、我々の「知性」を激しく揺すぶらせてくれる、類まれな作品ではないでしょうか。
サウンドトラックで流れる、今は亡きヌスラト・ファテー・アリー・ハーンとエディ・ヴェダー(パール・ジャム)によるヴォーカル曲も、本作に静かな深みを与えていて秀逸です。
That's my backstory to the experience of watching the film, which may seem just irrelevant. Recently, I happened upon the film again. I almost didn't want to see it, for fear that it would be much less powerful. So many films age horribly, but here I needn't have worried. I was struck again by what an incredible film this is. Susan Sarandon gives the performance of her life. So does Sean Penn. The script is pitch-perfect. The pacing is inspired. Tim Robbins, who directed this and co-wrote it, was the then partner of Sarandon. I don't know whether that relationship helped to form some basis of trust that was so conducive to this extremely vulnerable role she took on, but rarely have I seen any actor dig so deep.
What impresses me most though about this film is that it's almost like a documentary in that sentimentality is kept to a real minimum. Yes, we follow Sister Helen Prejean through her unflinching optimism and courage, but throughout the film we're reminded of the sheer brutality of the crimes. Flashbacks to the night of the heinous crimes of Matthew Poncelet (Penn). Flashbacks, too, of Sister Prejean as a child participating in the senseless and violent killing of a beaver/groundhog. Nobody comes out smelling like roses. Everyone has their cross to bear, the devil on their backs. Just some more than others.
The end result of this film, for me, was this agonising emotion at the pointlessness of it all. We're torn between feeling great sympathy for Sister Prejean, who herself is torn between helping Matthew Poncelet reach redemption, and wondering whether her time spent with the victims' families would be the better service to God. We feel the great sympathy for those families, and for the two innocent young people brutally murdered. And we feel immensely sorry for the mother and brothers of the murderer and rapist. And even sympathy for him. The crime was horrendous and pointless, and the punishment felt just the same. There's no shirking away from the difficulties of portraying this on film; I have immense respect to Tim Robbins for this. The final moments of Penn's life is about making the audience watch. It's slow, almost feeling like real time, as we watch Poncelet being shaved, his last walk to the death chamber, the grotesque reality of strapping a body down tightly that doesn't resist, so that we can watch other humans kill a human, watching each cylinder filled with toxic chemicals empty into his veins. It's truly horrendous, and this film makes you wake up to that truth.
The soundtrack is great, particularly a pieced called The Face of Love, written and performed exclusively for this film by Pakistan's most revered Sufi singer, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, and Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder. Tablas and sitars abound. It's played numerous times through the film, giving it this earthy, organic, melancholic sensuality. The melodic lines are so simple, but transcendent. It reminds me of plainchant.
Just the other week, I was listening to the jazz ensemble, the Esbjorn Svensson Trio. Up popped a song I hadn't heard of theirs before, and I instantly recognised it but it took some serious wracking of the grey cells before recalling it as being the same piece from the film. Even the cover holds this mystical quality. I'm so glad this film is on Blu-Ray now, and to have it to watch again.
To sum it up, this was one of the best films of the Hollywood 90's. It hasn't aged, which goes a very long way to securing itself as a Classic. It's a great shame that it's not shown on television regularly. I wish everyone saw this film. At any rate, this film changed me profoundly and aggressively, and the way it changed me has reverberated through my core beliefs for 26 years. How often can you say that about a film?