Dead Man Walking

Sarandon, as ever, is superlative. Penn is beyond superlatives. Unflinchingly he presents a cold, hard, despicable individual, then rips him inside out until the monster is revealed to be a human being.

...demonstrates how a movie can confront a grave and controversial issue in our society and see it fairly, from all sides, not take any shortcuts, and move the audience to a great emotional experience without unfair manipulation.

There are no easy answers on death row, and Dead Man Walking makes this painfully, powerfully clear.

...this is hard-hitting drama that neither accepts nor offers quarter.

It may be the most complexly impassioned messagemovie Hollywood has ever made.