Every day, AlloCiné recommends a film to (re)watch on TV. Tonight: the last hours of a condemned man.
After playing one of the leading roles in Escapees, a cult film about the prison world directed by Frank Darabont, Tim Robbins continues to explore this genre in its own right in American cinema with his second film as director.
The Last March is inspired by the life of Helen Prejean, an American nun from the Institute of the Sisters of Saint Joseph, a fervent abolitionist of the death penalty who accompanied several condemned men until the moment of their execution. In this case, in the film, it is Matthew Poncelet, accused of having killed two teenagers.
A committed director, Tim Robbins naturally calls on two actors who are also sensitive to these political issues: Susan Sarandon – his wife at the time – and Sean Penn.
Both rewarded for their performance – one by the Oscar for Best Actress, the other by the Silver Bear at the Berlinale – they are indeed impressive in this moving plea against the death penalty.
Tim Robbins hits hard, delivering a relevant reflection on the subject, far from the usual clichés, leading to a heartbreaking, climaxing scene.
Released in 1995, The Last Walk was extremely profitable from a financial point of view, since it grossed 83 million dollars worldwide while it only cost 11.
The Last Walk by Tim Robbins with Susan Sarandon, Sean Penn, Robert Prosky…
Tonight on Arte at 8:50 p.m.