"The motion picture Dead Man Walking provided a non-fiction insight into
the world of crime, justice, and capital punishment. The film cast
several characters from different backgrounds and opinion sets in
direct conflict with one another. Several small topics and one major
topic, capital punishment, were explored over the duration of the
movie. While the opinions and reactions of people to Dead Man Walking may
vary, the one constant is that people will have a reaction.
Sister Helen Preje, the Catholic nun, appeared to be a genuinely
concerned person who took a real interest in the condemned prisoner.
She came from a strong background but chose to "give back" to others.
Sister Helen explained her need to "give back" during the film and
appeared to be completely serious about her commitment to helping others.
Sister Helen did not wear her habit during the course of the film.
Many people have a stereotypical vision of Catholic nuns: the habit,
seemingly out-of-touch thoughts and ideals, and older and/or without
any vitality. Sister Helen showed what being a Catholic and a Catholic
nun is truly about. She accepted a call for help from a complete
stranger. Instead of turning away or giving up, she persisted,
showing what love and, in a way, courage could do under such dire
circumstances. Through it all, she did it with spirit, life, vitality,
and strength. Her relationship with the convict, Matthew Poncelet, was on
two levels. The first was as a friend and confidant. Sister Helen
was the first to truly explore Matthew for Matthew. Others tried to
learn about him, but only to vilify or condemn him. The second level
was as a messenger of religion, a messenger of God. For the very first
time, Matthew was given the opportunity to realize his worth as a human,
and his worth in the eyes of God. Th...