Power of Visual Imagery

A detailed Summary of Power of Visual Imagery

The film Dead Man Walking successfully uses a variety of effective imagery techniques to draw powerful emotions from its viewers. Much of the films success is due to the director Tim Robbins as well as the cast. Before seeing the film Dead Man Walking, I never looked at the actual people involved in the process of capital punishment. I looked at the issue itself and not the people who are part of capital punishment. Robbins successfully personifies the issue of capital punishment and helps to give a balanced view of the issue. This balance is achieved in a variety of visual imagery techniques including framing, point of view, flashbacks and particularly emotional or effective scenes.

The first imagery technique that I would like to discuss is framing. There are many scenes throughout the film that utilize close ups. For instance, there is a close up of Helen holding the bars with her face pressed against them. As the time for Poncelet's execution nears, the camera zooms in on the clock. This is a very dramatic way to signify that the end for Poncelet is near. Most people don't actually realize that the time before a death row inmate is to be executed can be very hard on the inmate.

The were several scenes in which I found a great deal of balance in the film. At one point in the film, Poncelet gives an interview in which he makes a variety of racist and biased comments. Later in the film, Poncelet is on the phone and crying to his mother. The strongest point that achieves balance in this film is the portrayals of the families involved. I felt that these families were the ultimate in the personification of the death penalty. Dead Man Walking gives us an intimate portrayal of how each family has to deal with the murder that has taken place. Before watching this film, it never occurred to me that the family of the convict would be effected that strongly. I believe that Robbins was trying to show that the horrors of murder are no different than the horrors of execution because now another family will have to suffer.

Out of all of the visual imagery techniques used, the one that pulled on my heart strings the most was flashbacks. Not only do they show flashbacks of Poncelet and the murders, they show flashbacks of Helen when she was younger. There are scenes of Helen becoming a nun. But it is my belief that the flashback of Helen beating an animal was used to create balance when comparing her to Poncelet. It may have been used to show that even really good people can make mistakes and achieve redemption. The flashbacks of the murder appear to be very well thought out and planned by Robbins. In the beginning, the flashbacks of the murder are very short. As the movie progresses, the flashbacks get longer and longer. These flashbacks are seen in black and white. At the end of the movie, as Poncelet is being put

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Dead Walking, Hope Walter's, Walking Poncelet, dead walking, Tim Robbins, capital punishment, film dead walking, film dead, film poncelet, visual imagery, balance film, issue capital, issue capital punishment, imagery techniques, effective scenes, especially effective, Visual Imagery, scenes throughout film, framing view flashbacks, capital punishment scenes,

Approximate Word count = 1115
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Movies