Dead Man Walking is a dramatic tale that will make you pause and take a deeper look in to your view of the death penalty. This movie gives a face and a personality to both sides of this loaded issue. Themes of revenge vs. redemption, crime vs. punishment, and fear vs. salvation riddle the entire movie some so moving just due to the simplicity of the thought process by which they are introduced.
             Dead Man Walking is far from lacking ethical and moral issues. Most of these issues revolve around Sister Helen Prejean. Can she lend comfort to someone like Matthew Poncelet? As a "woman of God" how can she not lend comfort to someone like Matthew Poncelet? If she remains as a source of moral support to Matthew Poncelet how can she face the families of his victims? How can she set aside her personal feeling towards this man and be there for him?
             There are other issues also such as is Matthew Poncelet going to be executed because he was too poor to afford a good trail lawyer? Is there a moral difference when the state kills and when an individual kills? Should justice be based on the "eye for an eye" edict or the one that says to "turn the other cheek"?
             Dealing with these issues in a philosophical manner creates a level of depth that one may not necessarily apply when taking this film at face value. Over all according to Kant the only ethical person (of the main characters) is Sister Helen Prejean. She was the only person that gave of herself in a manner that was not for some sort of personal gain. She focused all of her energy on making sure that the other people involved in this situation were okay emotionally even when it cost her. She was able to set aside her personal feelings toward Matthew Poncelet and emulate/ show her belief in the value she quotes from Jesus. "A person is not as bad as their worst deed." What she did was ethical according to Kant's views. Kant says that an action de...