Dead Man Walking

I hope everyone has enjoyed the movie in one way or another. I know it's pretty long and "talky" but it's made this way for a reason. The contemplative mood and slowness of pace invite the audience to think more deeply about the issues that the movie attempts to deal with. The long moments of silence, close-up shots of the key characters, as well as the evocatively unsettling soundtrack (when it makes a rare appearance) are meant to draw us into the movie rather than distance the viewer from the drama of the execution or the trauma experienced by the various parties. I think there was one distinct moment where we felt removed from the action and that was the scene where Sister Helen sat facing Mr Delacroix. The two characters were shot in profile and the camera lens slowly zoomed out, framing both of them in the living room scene. It was a long 2 or 3 second shot of "no action". What effect do you think the director wanted to create or what response is he hoping to elicit from the viewer?



Please post your response to my observations or your comments and reflections to the following questions:

1. Did Matthew Poncelet deserve to die?

2. Was justice served by his execution?


In your post, do consider the perspectives of

a) Poncelet himself, (b) Sister Helen, (c) his family (especially his mother), (d) the victims' families (slight difference in response between the two families), (e) Sister Helen's family and friends, (f) her community, (g) prison guards, warden and doctor, (h) the chaplain, (i) Mr Hilton Barber (his lawyer), (i) the media, (j) politicians, (k), the public (people outside the prison, members of the jury, etc.)

For those who wish to delve a little deeper into the issue of the morality of the death penalty, you may make references to the theories whose links I've provided in the record book.

http://www.economist.com/obituary/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15268228

http://www.economist.com/obituary/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15268228
Since we were discussing in class whether justice was served by the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, this article might change the way some of us felt. Do share your views.

Justice

I'm posting the generalisation about the concept of Justice for everyone's benefit - in case you didn't take it down in class.
"Justice is about restoring the balance of the moral order of things."
The expression is pretty colloquial but it encapsulates what we discussed today about compensation, punishment of the guilty, proportionality, retribution (just desserts) etc.
You could, if you like, rewrite the statement or add on to it. Are there aspects of Justice which we didn't capture?
Please go through the notes and readings.

Initial ramblings

This is a class blog set up for 4S1 students. It is a platform for you to do your reflections, post your comments and feedback about anything that goes on in English class. I'd first like to invite you to reflect on the lesson(s) on developing the concept of "Justice."

Was the task interesting, challenging, engaging? Were the conclusions satisfying?