Dead
Man Walking
(1995)
- Information at Internet Movie Database
- Cinema in Focus, a social and spiritual commentary by Hal Conklin and Denny Wayman.
- Review, Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality & Health - Spiritual Practices for Human Being.
- Themes
- Bible
- Guard: "You know how the Bible
says, ?an eye for an eye?..."
Prejean: "The Bible also calls for death as punishment for adultery, prostitution, homosexuality, profaning the Sabbath, trespassing upon sacred ground, and contempt of parents."
Guard: "I ain?t gonna get into no Bible quotin? with no nun, ?cuz I?m gonna lose."
- Guard: "You know how the Bible
says, ?an eye for an eye?..."
- Confession
- Poncelet confesses his responsibility in the murders, and finds freedom through admitting the truth and accepting the reconciliation offered.
- Crucifixion
- Poncelet is in shape of a cross when he dies, representing his ultimate redemption, and his attempt at a redemptive death.
- Freedom
- Poncelet finds freedom when he accepts and admits the truth about his responsibility for the murders.
- Grace
- Grace only becomes real for Poncelet after he confesses and admits his responsibility for his actions and understands himself as a child of God even in the midst of that reality. Merely giving verbal assent to the blood of Jesus is not sufficient.
- Healing
- Many characters experience healing in the story, while others refuse to be healed.
- Institutional Evil/Sin
- An interesting exploration of the relationship between corporate and individual sin and evil.
- Judgment
- Love
- Love as action & commitment rather than emotion. (submitted by Alix Pridgen)
- Sister Helen: "I want the last face you see in this world to be the face of love, so you look at me when they do this thing. I'll be the face of love for you."
- Prayer
- Sister Helen prays with and for Matthew Poncelet.
- Redemption
- Poncelet wants to quickly claim that Jesus has taken care of any sins he may have. Prejean encourages him to take responsibility for what he has done in order to die a noble death as a child of God.
- Repentance
- Scene between Sister Prejean and Poncelet near end of movie where he admits his responsibility for the murders.
- Truth
- Poncelet finds freedom when he accepts and admits the truth about his responsibility for the murders.
- Bible
