Dead Man Walking

The film Dead man walking was not created on a true case per sea but was constructed on some true people. The personality Sister Helen was indeed based on a genuine Sister Helen Prejean. The character Matthew Poncelet was a fictitious creation manufactured on a permutation of attributes of two real inmates and their criminalities that sister Helen Prejean came in acquaintance with; they are Robert Lee Willie and Elmo Patrick Sonnier.

The movie follows the storyline of Matthew Poncelet as he approaches nearer to his execution for the slaying of youths Walter Delacroix and Hope Percy. As the day of his passing becomes closer he interacts and bonds with sister Helen. She advocates for his wishes as regards to his appeal for life imprisonment, which the sister campaigners for and gets him an attorney pro bono. In endorsing for the needs of Poncelet ultimately leads to the sister meeting with his family and that of his victims. After his appeal is denied Poncelet asks sister Helen to be his religious advisor on the day of his execution. On the day he dies sister Helen tells him for redemption he must admit his sins. He then confesses that it was he not his brother who killed the couple. He is then executed and buried. The film ends with the father
of Walter Delacroix praying with sister Helen.

There are a lot of parallels between the crimes committed in the movie both by Elmo Patrick Sonnier.
They both are based on the rape torture and murder of a young women and boyfriend at lovers lane. The murders were also committed with the aide of the brother of the killer. Afterward both killers were sentenced to Louisiana State Penitentiary to await their executions for the crimes they committed. The character had some of the mannerism and beliefs of Robert lee Willie like the infamous throat silting motion that Poncelet uses in a courtroom scene used to show his remorse in court and to intimate witnesses. Also the name of the victim in that case was faith and a feel as if the movie used hope as a tribute to the
victim.

I felt that the movie was fairly unbiased but it did lean slightly more toward the anti-death penalty side. The director focuses on the bond between the sister Helen and that of Matthew Poncelet. The movie tends to focus on Helen came about being his spiritual advisor and the struggle that they both went through. The movie had a lot of religious undertones that I feel were used to try to provoke those of the Christian faith.

The movie started with a close up of Helens cross and ended with Poncelet being injected in the shape of the cross. I think the director took this latitude away for the electrocutions in Louisiana at the time to provide no side option to challenge those as to focus that of Christ and his teachings. I feel that the movie was trying to make those in the Christian faith revaluate their personal views in away that wasn’t sanctimonious. Overall I thought the movie provided a unique view it skipped right to the middle/ending of those in capital punishment crimes.