(For Day 26 of NaPoWriMo, the prompt was simply for a sonnet, in my case, a Shakespearean. I enjoy this form, since it lets me delve into heavier themes and my sonnet for Time of Eve is one of my personal favorite NaPoWriMo posts, so here goes another.)

Is death deserved and who decides the guilt?
The question haunts the conscience of mankind.
“Thou shalt not kill,” foundation for us built,
But punishment frets our reluctant mind.
The fear the felling blow perhaps may land
On innocence mistaken for the crime
Delays the price that bloody sins demand
And stretches out their pending ending time.
And what finality to halt a heart,
Declaring second chances null and void!
Not “vengeance is the Lord’s,” but ours, in part,
More death where life’s already been destroyed.
An “eye for eye” or “life for life” is fair
But leaves so very much beyond repair.
__________________________

MPA rating: R (for language and intensity)

It’s rare to find a film that manages to cover every angle of a controversial issue as deftly as Dead Man Walking while also remaining an engaging story. Based on the non-fiction book by Sister Helen Prejean, the film follows the plain-clothes Catholic nun (played by Susan Sarandon) as she becomes the spiritual advisor to Matthew Poncelet (Sean Penn), a convicted rapist and murderer on Louisiana’s death row. All the arguments for and against capital punishment get their say, and while Sister Prejean’s faith puts her on the pro-life/anti-death side, her conversations with the families of the murder victims make the grief of the opposing side completely understandable. She is criticized for even considering offering comfort to Poncelet as he awaits his execution, and at times, he acts like the unsympathetic monster everyone believes him to be. Yet, just like the old “no atheists in foxholes” saying, Poncelet’s need for forgiveness and human compassion becomes more and more apparent as the end draws nearer.

I get that Braveheart was the epic juggernaut for the 1995 Oscars season, but the sheer emotional power behind Dead Man Walking makes the fact that it wasn’t even nominated for Best Picture a travesty. And the same goes for Nicolas Cage winning Best Actor over both Penn and Richard Dreyfuss in Mr. Holland’s Opus! At least Susan Sarandon won an absolutely deserved Oscar for her nuanced performance, often just sitting and listening to others but mirroring every emotion of the audience with her expressive eyes. Penn proves his acting prowess at every turn (it’s gratifying that he at least went on to win two Oscars to make up for this loss), and his final scene is a harrowing and devastating gut punch, similar to the end of Dancer in the Dark. Director and writer Tim Robbins made a poignant masterpiece with Dead Man Walking, one worth opening up uncomfortable discussions around capital punishment and justice, themes that remain timely even thirty years later.

Best line: (Sister Helen) “Mr. Percy, I’m just trying to follow the example of Jesus, who said that a person is not as bad as his worst deed.”

Rank: List-Worthy

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