La dernière marche

There are few films where both the performances and directing are as powerful as they are in this film. Sean Penn is nothing less than awesome in a film that is as unflinching, intelligent, and thoughtful about the death penalty as any film could be. Writer/director Tim Robbins shows a depth beyond any reasonable expectation, Susan Sarandon is wonderful as the strong moral center of the film, and Sean Penn's performance is one of the most specific, thought provoking and eerily realistic performances ever put on film. In short, his performance is a masterpiece, as is this important film.

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.

"Dead Man Walking" deals with one nun's struggle (Susan Sarandon in her Oscar-winning part) to help a convicted death row inmate (Sean Penn in an Oscar-nominated role) come to terms with his imminent execution. Writer-director Tim Robbins does something very difficult in this film, he makes us care about the unsympathetic character that Penn plays. Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn dominate the film in every aspect imaginable, they play a complicated chess match at times and eventually become close friends by the end of the picture. The fact that Sarandon and Robbins are openly against the death penalty in real life just adds to this film. Their strong opinion on the subject leads to an unforgettable motion picture that is made well and performed well by the two leads. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

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 is a very touching story of a man in a death row. I certainly didn't know anything about death penalty until I saw this movie. It gave me one thing that there is none who has right to take another man's life regardless of what he has done. I really enjoyed it, it made a lot of sense.