GCSE English: Dead Man Walking
Director: Tim RobbinsMatthew Poncelet played by Sean Penn
Sister Helen Prejan played by Susan Sarandon
The film is based on a real case from the 1980's written about in Sister Helen's Memoires.
Opening Sequence
- We see the enrolement of Sister Helen as a nun. This is the actual footage of the real Sister Helen's enrolement. It looks like a marriage ceremony and shows the marriage the nun makes with God.
- It is in a home-made movie style, this makes it look real and authenticates the film.
- Sister Helen becomes dedicated to God and officially becomes a nun
- Soundtrack is spiritual music, but not traditional western Christian spiritual music. This shows how Sister Helen is not a traditional nun. Talks in a debate later in the film about the Old and New Testament and is much more for forgiveness instead of the vangeful view of religion portrayed in the Old Testament. Another occasion she shows her unorthadox views in practise is when she does not wear the traditional habit. She seems more like a real person, which again authenticates the film.
- Lives in a poor area, right from the start we view her as someone who wants to help everyone. She puts her views into practise instead of preaching about the theory she goes out and makes a difference
- She helps the poor, and Matthew is poor. He is underprivelaged like the people who she lives amongst, very caring.
- The voiceover technoque used to read the letter aloud to sister Helen sounds like the voice is coming from a long way away and that he is reaching out to her.
- "Like a sow being fattened up for slaughter"
- Had a weird dream where God is wearing a Chefs hat.
- Matthew dehumanised, not treated like a human, more like an animal. Introduces a theme of dehumanisation.
- Nothing to do in an enclosed space all day. Great detail and description of where he is kept, surrounded by people who "Want to kill him"
- We do not know what his crime was and feel sympathy for him before we find out what his crime was.
- Separating a man from his crime. We hear his side of the story first. The ordering of themes is important as we hear his side of the story first. We then do not view the crime with such apprehension.
- You do not prejudge Matthew by physical appearance
- Showing the sister on screen shows thoughts by both of them and their responses.
- As she enters the prison the cross is detected by the petal detector, showing her strong belief in God and religion as a theme in the film.
Sister Helen's first visit to the Prison
- When approaching the prison lots of wire fences and gates. A very separated world inside the prison. Segregation by physical barriers.
- As she sees Matthew we may feel sorry for him. To prevent this the director shows very brief clips of what happened on the evening of the crime. Nearer the end of the film these snippets become longer until eventually we see the entire story.
- These clips may show what Sister Helen is thinking as she is walking, about to meet the murderer for the first time.
- Continually reminding the audience a crime was committed.
- Heard screams, knocks and chains. Only Helen can walk freely. Very unpleasant and harsh enclosed environment.
- On seeing Matthew for the first time they are separated by a wire mesh. Both are shown with this between them, as how the other views them, again showing the separation between them. Shows how Matthew is enclosed in a cage, like an animal.
- Shot of the girls legs (victim) to tfhe young girls photo shows the innocence of the victims.
- Shows the grief of parents and that Matthew is affectionate toward his child.
- "We both live with poor people" Sister Helen.
- "There ain't nobody with money on death row" Matthew Poncelet.
- Inequality, if you are rich you will not get on death row.
News Footage
- Adds a "real" dimension to the film. Director wants to make the film real, and about real executions. Issue is still a current burning issue in America.
- The lethal injection footage is the real footage of the real Matthew Poncelets execution.
- Makes the film seem serious, brutal and preconceived.
- Not just a film, a real life issue.
- Politicians giving their views widens the idea that it is not just Poncelets crime. How different judges give different sentences.
- Huge political issue. Some voters have strong pro/anti view on the issue, and politicians can gain a lot of votes if they present the view the community wants to see.
Visit to Matthew's "Mama's" House
- Sister Helen uses the word "Mama" which makes us feel that he is a fmaily member, not just a raging killer.
- Very poor neighbourhood. We see a burnt out car.
- Not very good upbringing
- Not entirely his fault. We understand his actions better because he has social problems like a lack of education.
- Since trial Matthew's family have been persecuted, bullied and insulted. Now they to have been turned into victims.
- The issue of money arises, 'death insurance,' the money to bury him. The mother says "ain't even got food money."
Second visit to Prison
- Again the grid, however as the conversation intensifies we see her without a grid.
- As he talks to Sister Helen he approaches her in a sexual manner. She was asking some intensive questions and making him uneasy, so he makes her feel uneasy.
- Close camera shots on faces as the expressions of the characters are clearly show.
- This scene introduces his coldness making us think that he could have easily committed the crime.
- Intense encouter, in the background there was a thunderstorm. Shows the scene is unpleasant, like the weather. This is called Pathetic fallacy where the weather matches the emotions on screen.
Parole Board Hearing
- Scene 'framed' by the mothers tears, at beginning and end. Capital punishment has more than one victim.
- Lawyer spoke eloquently which helped Matthew. Deailed description and how the people watching the execution are really the monsters.
- No humaine way to kill a human.
- Compares "humaine" manner to those generally viewed as inhumaine, like stoning to death.
- "Lungs Implode".
- If he had money he would not be on death row.
- Mother looking at photos of Matthew while he was younger. How he was once innocent.
- Another son will be lost in the execution, adding a third victim dead and even more suffering.
- The nicer set of photos when Matthew was young is balanced by the grusome photos of the victims mutilated bodies.
The Delacroix's House
- Seeing the other side, sympathy turns from Poncelot to victims parents.
- Shows all of room, uses long distance shots to show emptiness of house and room.
- Used as a parallel to Mr Delacroix's life, with left him, son dead.
- No sound - only quiet conversation, makes you concentrate and focus on them speaking, to show no one is around as there is no other noise. Shows how Poncelot has ruined lives.
The Percy's House
- First shot on photo of Hope (murdered daughter) to show that she is still part of the family and the household.
- Photo's feature heavily in the film - baby pictures of Matthew, pictures of bodies - show part of family.
- Hope is big feature, has many meanings in film. Hope = Murdered girl, Sister Helen lives in Hope house Sister Helen brings hope to film, purity, bright feeling
- Same long shot, to give a feeling of distance, created by Matthew. As the story is told the camera gets closer to face of mother and is cut with the search party and flash backs of Hope being found.
- Used phrases like "imbedded too deep" - talking about a pin and "all tore up" - about hope after rape, and "Fished Hope's jaw out of a bag of lime" - when Mr Percy's brother goes to identify Hope's body, also changed his mind about the death penalty.
- Includes the other daughter in the film shows how all graphic detail you hear about the murder, then you see this young girl and think it could happen to her. Girl could be traumatised, seemed left alone and ignored my parents, shows separation caused my Matthew.
- Cuts from Percy's house to see trial, Matthew coming out of court and saying to Hope's father "I ain't gonna get no chair daddy" makes him seem arrogant and cocky
Poncelot in death house
- See him in "death house" - cell where people are put before receiving death penalty, screen split with mesh of window in the middle, like a cross section. Division appears less obvious but still there.
- Matthew talks form a very racist point - views black people as wrong, hates them, always has.
- Respects Martin Luther King Jr as he made an effort and did something.
- Sister Helen say what he really does not like is lazy people and proves her point by bring a lazy white person into the conversation, Matthew say he does not like them either.
- Matthew then says that if a black person was killer before him he would want the death bed cleaned as he did not want to lie in the same place as a black person.
- He then asks Sister Helen to change the subject as he cannot cope with her questions.
Links
AntiEssay Analysis
CyberEssay Analysis
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Movieweb Media Resource
Colossus Review