Writer/Director: Tim Robbins
Starring: Sean Penn, Susan Sarandon and R. Lee Ermey
‘A Meaningful Masterpiece’
Not many actors in Hollywood have earned the recognition of Sean Penn. Following his rise to fame in the 1990’s, Penn has made memorable movies. Whether it’s political leaders, police in dangers or gangsters, Penn has played several strong characters. Arguably, Penn’s strength as an actor has always been his strong screen presence. He is one of those actors which has always had a commanding presence that has elevated every movie. Through his capabilities to portray powerful characters audiences can relate to, Penn has become a star audiences value. Despite reaching the age of retirement, Penn have never lost his passion for creating engaging entertainment. An actor with strong commitment, Penn has become an icon in the world of entertainment. Throughout his strong career, Penn has made many memorable films which are definitely worth taking about without a doubt.
I’m a huge fan of Penn and adore all the films he has made in his career. However, “Dead Man Walking” is definitely my favourite. Ever since its release in 1995, Tim Robbins’ movie has stood the test of time as a classic. Packed with breathtaking production design, strong storytelling and phenomenal acting, it’s one of the best movies ever made about wrongful imprisonment. At the centre of it all is a great performance by Sean Penn, who embodies a man wrongfully accused of murder he hasn’t committed. Ultimately, what makes “Dead Man Walking” a masterpiece is its universal appeal. Unlike most movies about wrongful conviction, it tackles strong themes everyone would relate to. A mesmerizing masterpiece capturing hardships men accused of wrongful conviction are facing, there are man reasons why “Dead Man Walking” is a great film that’s worth seeing.
“Dead Man Walking” tells the story of a death row inmate that seeks assistance from a nun to cope with a crime which is frightening. Sean Penn portrays Matthew Poncelet, a death row inmate that faces tension. Wrongfully accused of a crime he has not committed, Matthew is determined to escape a situation leaning him cmm on conflicted. Matthew’s dreams come true when he is given help from a religious nun he has grown to value. Sister Helen Prejean (Susan Sarandon) is a religious nun that seeks to assist Matthew overcome disaster. However, what appears an opportunity soon turns into a nightmare. As all the odds are stacked against his favour, Matthew begins to wonder whether it’s truly possible to escape prison sentences causing disaster.
Tim Robbins is fascinated by the themes of wrongful conviction. A fantastic filmmaker, Robbins has often made engaging movies about wrongful imprisonment. His Oscar-winning movie “The Shawshank Redemption” offered a powerful portrait of a men which wrongful conviction. With “Dead Man Walking”, however, he took on his first drama. It was the filmmaker’s first attempt to capture the lives of men facing wrongful conviction that causes tragedy but he succeeded. Using captivating cinematography, Robbins captures a prisoner embarking a journey to prove innocence in a crime causing tragedy. Throughout the movie. Robbins uses stunning visuals capturing the hardships that prisoners accused of crimes are facing. For instance, handheld camera elevates the meeting scene. During his tense scene, Matthew meets with Sister Prejean (Susan Surandon) to discuss his prison sentence. Through handheld camera, Robbins caprices captures tensions that individuals accused of crimes are facing.
Another admirable aspect of “Dead Man Walking” that merits appreciation is the production. From a technical perspective, the movie is extremely well made. Evoking Frank Darabont’s “The Green Mile”, Robbins expertly uses costumes to capture hardships men that face conviction are facing. Throughout the film, Matthew’s costumes showcase his strong transformation from being a prisoner facing wrongful conviction to a strong prisoner with strong control over destiny. Furthermore, the musical score is magnificent. David Robbins’ music is key to the success of the movie. It give the movie a tense atmosphere capturing the burden death row inmates bear. Through stunning production-design, Robbins captures the lives death row inmates that experience a decline.
Storytelling is one of the main reasons why “Dead Man Walking” is a prison film which is compelling. The film is beautifully written, and effectively use narration to capture the lives men facing wrongful conviction. Inspired by “The Shawshank Redemption”, Robbins uses voice-over narration to capture tensions faced jt prisoners seeking redemption. For instance, narration enhances the opening scene. During this intense scene, Helen introduce viewers to the harsh reality of wrongful convictions in America. Through narration, Robbins creates a strong character that audiences can easily relate to. Narration is a tricky technique to use in movies. As Martin Scorsese’s “The Wolf of Wall Street” suggested that narration elevates Wall Street movies. Nevertheless, it works well on this movie. Through a superb screenplay, Robbins captures the lives of commemorated prisoners in an institution facing an excruciating price to pay.
One admires amazing performances.
Sean Penn delivers one of his greatest career performances as Matthew. Penn first earned appreciation for playing rebellious teenagers in schools. With “Dead Man Walking”, however, the actor on his most complex role. It isn’t easy to play a prisoner facing wrongful conviction but he succeeds tremendously. This is the actor unlike you’ve ever seen him: intense, charismatic and emotional in his most iconic role. Penn has often excelled at playing volatile characters under intense pressure, and “Dead Man Walking” showcased his strengths as an actor. It’s a phenomenal performance by one of the best actors that’s currently working in the industry.
Susan Surandon is spectacular as a religious nun that devotes her life to assisting a death row inmate facing wrongful conviction. While Penn gets showier role, Sarandon is also great as a lawyer driven to accomplish her life goal. It’s a role that gave the actress the chance to showcase her talent for playing strong women that face distress. Whether she’s seeking to defend a death row inmate that’s devastating or striving to discover the truth about the legal system. Sarandon uses strong body language to create a character that’s compelling. It’s a phenomenal performance from one of the most commemorated actresses today.
Finally, “Dead Man Walking” would earn the appreciation of everyone for capturing tension that death row inmates are facing. Unlike most prison dramas, it tackles strong themes which everyone would relate to. It discusses strong themes including identity, marriage and grief which would resonate with everyone. Viewers don’t need to be familiar with the legal system to appreciate it. It delivers a strong message about wrongful conviction that would resonate with everyone. Therefore, “Dead Man Walking” is one of those rare prison dramas everyone will adore.
Fans of Sean Penn will definitely appreciate “Dead Man Walking” and so will movie-goers seeking exhilarating entertainment. A riveting crime classic, it honours an actor that has built a legacy that’s iconic.
Nearly 30 years following the release of a groundbreaking crime film about death row inmates wrongfully accused of crimes they didn’t commit facing prison sentences which are frightening, it’s a riveting reminder of an actor that built a lasting legacy for his abilities to portray strong characters in movies that are worth celebrating.
5/5 stars
The Film Buff 