Introduction
You will use this space to share your ideas from the perspectives of different people / roles in the film Dead Man Walking. Sections of the video have been prepared as short clips to help focus your analysis.
1. As a class you will view either all the clips in class or the official movie trailer, as an individual you will focus on one of five clips, each from a particular perspective. You can access the clips in class or from this online resource.
To help analyse the clip, you can use this Head & Heart handout (and those who choose to manage their own learning can use a special EtherPad page)
2. Then, as a small group, compare your ideas of what went through the head and hearts (thoughts and feelings) Each group will enter their best work into the comments section below. Look for the “Comment Thread” for your clip. Identify the people in your small group and create one comment for your group.
Everybody in class (and the world!) can then read your insights and comment on them. If someone has commented, saying something you also thought, make sure your comments either:
- extends the idea that person expressed
- or adds a new idea to deepen our understanding
We will watch one last clip from the film to help guide our final understanding.
You may also explore this Justice Continuum Activity (doc or rtf) where YOU decide which crimes deserve punishment and which might suit restorative justice.
Sister Helen
Head – what is she thinking?
- What he has done is completely wrong.
- I dont believe in the death penalty
- Is this the right thing?
- I dont kow what to do
- I dont know this person
- Too intrusive?
- Commitment/owe
- Unsure
- Desire to help
Heart – What is she feeling?
- Fear
- Insecurity
- Sympathy
- Nervous
- Conflicted
Family of Criminal
Head – What are they thinking?
Did he kill the people or dident he ?
People wanted him dead but his family doesent.
The famliy and Mat were upset because people were teasing him.
theres anger from the family because of the kids at school teasing the kids and doing unecassary stupid things eg. putting a dead squirell in the kids locker…
mother says : ” what have i done wrong? ” she might be thinking shes failed as a parent.
Heart – what are they feeling?
the family are feeling sorrow for mat but dont know weither to be angry at him because they dont know if his lieing.
the family is showing heart break, disipointment, sadness, guilt and there is greif in the family.
from da ladz
Families of Victim
Heart – what are the two families feeling? Describe their differences.
The family would most likely be feeling angry because their innocent daughter just got murdered for no apparent reason, the family would also have a feeling of emptyness because it is such a random act of violence to someone so close to them and they wouldn’t be knowing what to think because they can’t do anything about it and it probably hasn’t completely hit them.
Head – What are the two families thinking?
Defence Attorney and Prosecution
Heart – what are they feeling?
Defence:
They would be feeling disgusted, angry,worried.
Prosecution:
They would be feeling sick,sad,angry,lost,pain and desperate for some answers.
Head – What are they thinking?
Defence:
The defence attorny was trying to describe how brutal capital punishment
Prosecuition:
The prosecutor was describing that the punishment fits the crime and he describes the families loss and he explains that the girl who died will never get to grow up and get married and her family will never see her again.
The “executioners”
Head – What are the two sides thinking?
The executioners would think that it is harder to kill a human rather than a monster. So they must dehuminize him and block out all emotional responces to realize that this is just a job “i’m left leg, the left leg thats my job.”
Heart – what would the two sides be feeling?
They would have to block all emotions. Some emotions they would have to block are guilt, sadness and scared