what is the film 'dead man walking' about?

Question

i need to know in detail as i have an essay to write about the film......it would be much appreciated if you could tell me about the characters or any websites that you know of that explain in depth what the film is about , the setting the characters and the religious moral of it.....thanku

Answer 1

Maybe this will help you.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1068779-dead_man_walking/

One of the best things a film can do is make us reflect on our convictions and beliefs. Dead Man Walking, Tim Robbins' second effort as director and screenwriter since the mockumentary political satire Bob Roberts, powerfully forces this reflection through its compellingly ambiguous subject matter and superb performances by Sarandon and Penn. Dead Man Walking is based on the book of the same name written by Sister Helen Prejean, who is played by Sarandon in the film. As Sister Helen, Sarandon is a nun who acts as spiritual advisor to convicted death row inmate Matthew Poncelet (Penn). Sentenced to die by lethal injection for the murders of teenagers Walter Delacroix (Sarsgaard) and Hope Percy (Yager), Matthew writes to Sister Helen initially for help with his legal representation. As the reality of his situation comes more sharply into focus, Matthew relies on her for emotional support and spiritual guidance. Dedicated to a life of serving others, Sister Helen reaches out to Matthew first because of a sense of duty. The beauty of this film lies in its morally murky depths. Sister Helen finds her alliance with Matthew questioned from all sides: by her supportive but concerned family, by the people within the community where she works as a teacher, and most painfully by the families of the murdered teenagers. Sarandon's ability as an actress to plumb the depths of characters seems boundless. She presents Sister Helen as both a complex human being and a woman committed to her vocation. Penn's coiled, nuanced performance allows Matthew a sense of humanity beneath his hate and ignorance. Also noteworthy is Raymond J. Barry, who plays Walter's father Earl Delacroix as a shattered shell of a man struggling with his own demons. The use of flashbacks further fleshes out the main characters as well as the events for which Matthew is imprisoned. Providing haunting musical backlighting for the film's visuals are songs written expressly for Dead Man Walking by artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Eddie Vedder, and Johnny Cash. While only four tracks appear in the film, the other eight on the soundtrack create, through their words and music, an equally compelling parallel narrative to the film. The story of Sister Helen Prejean and Matthew Poncelet could be told in so many ways, and Robbins' direction and script are nearly flawlessly rich. There are no easy answers on death row, and Dead Man Walking makes this painfully, powerfully clear.

Answer 2

The contact info is on the site. Watch the movie, read the book, and ask her (contact info is on the left side where it says "Contact Helen") or her organization any questions you might have. They may have info that wasn't in the movie... a lot of times movies combine or leave things out because the movie will sacrifice fact for storyline time and time again.

http://www.prejean.org/

There was a concert in '98 called "Not In Our Name" that featured people from the soundtrack, a video of which was released on the Legacy Edition CD.

Materials to write the essay, sure. "Need to know in detail??" It's a good movie, Jack Black is even in it. But writing the essay for you??

Tim Robbins directed it, but the only contact info I know is through his involvement with Actor's Gang in Culver City.

http://theactorsgang.com/

Answer 3

I would suggest renting the movie if you need detail, but essentially the plot is about a death row convict and the nun who tries to witness to him in his last days. It is a powerful movie and will make you think about your views about capital punishment, even if your mind is already made up about it -pro or con.

Answer 4

some insight.

Sister Helen Prejean: Pretty disturbing
Dudley Sharp

The parents of rape/torture/murder victim Loretta Bourque, a "Dead Man Walking" Case

" . . .makes you realize the Dead Man Walking truly belongs on the shelf in the library in the Fiction category." (1)

"Being devout Catholics, 'the norm' would be to look to the church for support and healing. Again, this need for spiritual stability was stolen by Sister Prejean." (1)

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Case Detective Michael Vernado, in the rape/torture/murder of Faith Hathaway, a "Dead Man Walking" Case

"I wouldn't have had as much trouble with (Prejean's) views if she would have told the truth . . ." " . . . (Sr. Prejean) based her book on what was in I guess a defense file and what (rapist/murderer) Robert Willie telling her." (1)

" . . . she's trying to mislead people in the book. And that's something that she's going have to work out with herself." "(Sr. Prejean's) certainly not after giving anybody spiritual advice to try to save their soul." (1)

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DEATH OF TRUTH: (1)

Book Review: "Sister Prejean's Lack of Credibility: Review of "The Death of Innocents", by Thomas M. McKenna (New Oxford Review, 12/05). www.newoxfordreview.org/reviews.jsp?did=1205-mckenna

"The book is moreover riddled with factual errors and misrepresentations."

"Williams had confessed to repeatedly stabbing his victim, Sonya Knippers."

"This DNA test was performed by an independent lab in Dallas, which concluded that there was a one in nearly four billion chance that the blood could have been someone's other than Williams's."

" . . . despite repeated claims that (Prejean) cares about crime victims, implies that the victim's husband was a more likely suspect but was overlooked because the authorities wanted to convict a black man."

" . . . a Federal District Court . . . stated that 'the evidence against Williams was overwhelming.' " "The same court also did "not find any evidence of racial bias specific to this case." (1)

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Prejean finds that THERE IS NO GREATER SUFFERING , MENTALLY, THAN BEING A GUILTY MURDERER ON DEATH ROW (2)

Did she consider the mental suffering of a parent who lost their innocent daughter to a rape/murder or, possibly, the mental (and physical) suffering of that girl, as she was being raped and murdered?

Of course the sister considered it and she made her choice - the murderer.

Other topics, below

MUCH MORE FOUND IN FOOTNOTE 1

(1) "Sister Helen Prejean & the death penalty: A Critical Review"
http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/05s/04/sister-helen-prejean--the-death-penalty-a-critical-review.aspx

(2) Prejean: Death penalty is torture, TimesLeader.com online, October 1, 2012,
www.timesleaderonline.com/page/content.detail/id/541638/Prejean--Death-penalty-is-torture.html?nav=5010


Some rebuttals to common anti death penalty deceptions, by Sr. Prejean and others

The Death Penalty: Do Innocents Matter?
A Review of All Innocence Issues
http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-death-penalty-do-innocents-matter.html


The Death Penalty: Fair & Just
http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2013/12/is-death-peanalty-fairjust.html

New Testament Death Penalty Support Overwhelming
http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2014/01/new-testament-death-penalty-support.html

Answer 5

its about a man who is on death row for raping an killing 2 people. a relilgous woman comes in an talks to him all the time. she is trying to get him to accept god in his life an forgive himself for wat he has done so wen he is put to death he will go to heaven.... its a really good movie. maybe u should rent it an watch it.

Answer 6

how bout you just rent the film