Dead Man Walking

Starring: Susan Sarandon, Sean Penn, Robert Prosky, Raymond J. Berry, R. Lee Ermey, Celia Weston, Lois Smith, Scott Wilson, Peter Sarsgaard, Jack Black, Margo Martindale, Clancy Brown, Eva Amurri
Directed by: Tim Robbins
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
1995

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A nun (Susan Sarandon) reluctantly works with a death row inmate (Sean Penn) and tries to help him in his final days.

Review:

Tim: Sometimes a movie just does not click with you. That's what happened with Dead Man Walking. The film's resume suggests I should like it- the film won 1 Academy Award and was nominated for 4. It's well regarded by critics. It features an emotional story and realistic characters. I had to like this film, right? Ah, not quite. I never felt any connection with the characters and was never engaged in the story. The film felt way, way too long at 122 minutes. I was really glad when the film finally ended.

I really do believe that too many people got caught up in the pedigree of the film. It's a legitimately powerful story (at least on paper) and it's one of those films people sometimes feel like they are "supposed" to like. That doesn't work, though. I have to be honest- I really didn't care much about the film at all. I have to say I'm shocked that Tim Robbins received an Academy Award nomination for Best Director. I think his work was highly overrated.

The basic story is interesting- a nun begins working with a man on death row. He is proclaiming his innocence, although he's not the convict with a heart of gold. He's actually a pretty bad person. The question is whether or not he really killed the people he was accused of killing and whether he should die for that alleged crime. These themes float around the film. The problem is that none of these aspects really felt compelling to me. On some level, they might have been interesting, but at no point in the film did I really care how it would all turn out. I should have been asking- Is he really a murderer, or is he innocent of the crime? Is he going to be put to death or spared at the last minute? How will this journey impact the nun's faith? These questions might have been present in the recesses of my mind, but in all honesty, I didn't really care whether we found the answers out or not. Nothing in the film got me very excited.

I do blame a good deal of this on Robbins, as he wrote and directed the film. The script was just too weak and it didn't develop the characters in a compelling enough way. The protagonist of the film is Susan Sarandon, who plays a nun. I just did not find her character particularly interesting. She gives a good performance and plays the emotional parts well, but I felt like there was an impenetrable wall between her and the audience. I never felt like I really understood her character's motivations. I have to say I am a bit surprised she picked up the film's only Oscar, for Best Actress. I thought her performance was good, but not award worthy.

I thought Sean Penn's performance was overrated as well. He was decent as the unlikeable maybe killer, but did he really deserve an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor? I really did not see it. I feel like the film's final few scenes really swung the voters. I'm just glad he did not win. Again, he went through the motions decently enough, but there wasn't enough understanding of his character. I felt distant and removed. There are some very good scenes between Sarandon and Penn, so I don't want to seem like I am completely negative. I thought they were both good, but not as good as people seem to believe.

I wasn't taken in by the ending of the film. I know I was supposed to feel great waves of emotion, but the story just did not connect with me. I felt like the last few scenes were a bit manipulative of Robbins. He tried so hard to tug on the heartstrings and it felt a bit inauthentic to me.

From time to time, I do deride people for lacking stupid movies. Dead Man Walking is not a film I would criticize anyone for liking. Clearly, either people really liked it and found something I didn't (or maybe they just thought they were supposed to like it). I personally felt like the story and the characters were a bit underwhelming. I felt no overt emotional connection to the movie. It felt like it dragged on and on with no real movement and only minimal character development. There were a few interesting twists towards the end, but these moments don't do enough to save a plodding, lackluster film. I know I'm in the minority here, but this film felt like an amateurish effort.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Cradle Will Rock, The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile