Capital Punishment In Dead Man Walking

The film Dead Man Walking (1995) demonstrates the issues of capital punishment through a popular medium in order to attract increased awareness on the controversy. The plot focuses on inmate, Matthew Poncelet, facing punishment for his numerous crimes through authorized lethal injections that would cost him his life. The differing opinions on this controversy are embodied through Poncelet’s trial, however the dominant argument is persuaded through his own character to ultimately portray this film as an anti-capital punishment material. Tim Robbins, the director, deliberately criticizes this government sanctioned procedure by utilizing a Christian perspective, emotional sympathy, and lack of resolution to reveal opposition to these government

induced executions.
The Christian perspective is used to emphasize moral ethics against Poncelet’s charges of kidnap, rape, and murder against Hope Percy and Walter Delacroix. Hope, mercy, and forgiveness are all attributes of this religious worldview and accentuate the opposition of capital punishment ideals. The director utilizes multiple symbols to emphasize these aspects of Christianity, mainly incorporated through Sister Helen Prejean. Before becoming an advocate for the abolition of capital punishment, Helen was solely a Roman Catholic nun who helped manage the Hope House. She aided women and children there while constantly demonstrating God’s love. The Hope House in itself symbolizes not only the courage found in relying on faith, but also Poncelet’s continual hope that his ultimate sentence will be diminished. Once Poncelet requested Sister Helen to visit him and support him through the court’s processes, she not only accepts but actively attempts to plead the pardon of his deathly punishment. When visible in the scene, Helen is without exception wearing a necklace of the crucifixion of Jesus. This symbol was the focal point in multiple scenes to demonstrate the voluntary execution of Christ to mercifully save all humans from our sin. This directly relates to the inmate facing his own execution, but also accentuates the sins he must accept before death. As he tries to gain mercy from the courts in order to not face the death penalty, Helen strives for Poncelet to accept mercy from the Creator. Sister Helen is the most evident religious symbol, as an individual she represents the significance of forgiveness. As Poncelet’s spiritual advisor, Helen leads him to admit to his sins and she liberates him to seek forgiveness from God. While Poncelet faces the death penalty, his last words pleaded for forgiveness from the Percy and Delacroix family. He implores, “I don’t want to leave this world with hate in my heart… It was a terrible thing I did and I ask for your forgiveness.” These symbols of hope, mercy, and forgiveness as illustrated through the Christian perspective directly opposes the death penalty and further exemplifies the lack of morality pertaining to this cruel punishment.
Throughout the film, the watcher tends to empathize with Poncelet despite his terrible acts.

The director portrays Poncelet as a real human being through his relationships in order to reiterate the inhumanity involved with capital punishment. As Helen visits Poncelet, they develop a unique friendship that demonstrates his capability of good, humane characteristics, aside from his cruelties. Through this relationship the viewer observes Poncelet as he becomes increasingly kind, considerate, and respectful. The director also includes his familial connections in order to exhibit his character as not simply a criminal, but a son, brother, and friend. In multiple scenes his mother’s love for him is evident as she sincerely weeps for her son’s sentence. Poncelet is also portrayed as a seemingly good older brother to further the insight on his familial relationships. By the climax of the film, the audience is sympathetic for not only Poncelet but the loss that his family and Helen will soon face. The director’s ultimate argument is persuaded through the character of Poncelet to emphasize his humanity that will be taken away by the death penalty and the relationships that will be affected by his

death.
The director’s final illustration of anti-capital punishment is reflected through the lack of closure throughout the film’s conclusion.

Although Poncelet achieved his own resolution by admitting his own sins before death, those surrounding the trial and Poncelet were left in even more despair than previously. After forming a relationship with the inmate, Helen has to face the guilt of watching him die and begins to realize the truth of the unjust government practice. Poncelet’s family of course is in immeasurable grief, and will forever have the weight of his lethal death on their shoulders. Although the Percy and Delacroix family were anticipating closure by the death of the man that murdered their children, they received no such conclusion. Their overwhelming mourning for the loss of their children was still present, and the death of a stranger seemed to haunt them as well. This is evident when Mr. Delacroix came to Poncelet’s funeral, further demonstrating the lack of closure he received from the death penalty. Poncelet’s family and the families of those he murdered lost a child. Despite the drastically different circumstances, they were nonetheless killed, either by individual criminal or by the unjust state, causing grief that can not be resolved. The absence of closure for all parties involved demonstrates the ineffectivity of capital punishment providing justice, and suggests that the sentence further devastates even those closest to the

victims.
Dead Man Walking is an anti-capital punishment film that demonstrates the injustice to human life. The director utilizes a Christian perspective, empathy, and lack of closure to illustrate not only the ineffectivity of the death penalty, but also it’s violation of society’s belief in the value of human life. In this film, Poncelet's crime did not receive justice, but rather revenge that was manifested in the crime itself, but applied instead by the state as punishment. Crime is defined as “any offense, serious wrongdoing, or sin”. This film signifies that capital punishment is a further offense to human lives, is a continued wrongdoing to the victims, and is a sin according to religious views. Sister Helen insightfully said, “Every person is worth more than their worst act,” clearly contributing to Tim Robbins’ persuading argument of capital punishment neglecting the importance of human life.