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Illegal Tender
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by rick grant
rickgrant01@comcast.net
B+ Rated R 110 min
This true historical drama, written and directed by Christopher Cain, happened in 1857, but the story is topical, in that the scenario involves an enclave of Mormon zealots whose religious fanaticism turned evil. It’s tantamount to what is happening today with the fundamentalist Muslim Jihadists, who fervently believe that they have God on their side in their holy war against Western nations.
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In the minds of the radical Mormon sect in 1857, the massacre of a California-bound wagon train’s men, women and children was justified because the psychotic Mormon Bishop, Jacob Samuelson (Jon Voight) had ordered the mass killing. His rationale was they were from Missouri, where Mormon prophet Joseph Smith was murdered. Surely the members of the wagon train were responsible. More significantly, Bishop Samuelson claimed to have spoken directly with the spirit of Smith who ordered the slaughter, speaking for God almighty.
Although Cain’s deft direction and the cast’s stellar acting are riveting, the story is depressing as viewers see how religious fanaticism can justify anything in the name of God. Every day, somewhere in the world, innocent men, women and children are dying because religious fanaticism has turned evil. Killing in the name of God.
Once people submit their will to the limited parameters of religious dogma, their moral compasses are skewed and their decisions have to conform to the limitations of the dogma. Once Bishop Samuelson ordered the massacre, his followers had no choice but to obey–after all he was carrying out the will of God, just like Jim Jones did in his forced suicide/massacre of 900 of his followers at Jonestown.
In this controversial Mountain Meadows Massacre, director Cain makes a Jihad comparison as Bishop Samuels proclaims that the wagon train settlers (which the Mormons call Gentiles) are cursed by God. “They must be cleansed by death atonement.” At first, the Mormons coerced their Indian friends into doing their dirty work by promising them part of the booty of horses, cattle, trinkets and gold, and assuring them that The Great Spirit would protect them. But when the Indians started to take heavy casualties, they quit, leaving the Mormons to do their own killing.
In Cain’s script, he created a forbidden love affair (a la Romeo and Juliet) between Bishop Samuelson’s son, Jonathan, and a pretty young settler woman, Emily Hudson (Tamara Hope). Jonathan became friends with her and her family. He never believed that the settlers were a threat. However, he was chained up and prevented from warning the settlers of his father’s diabolical plan to slaughter them. He loved Emily and had asked her to marry him. He was planning to join Emily and the settlers and start a new life in California.
Historically, the Mountain Meadow Massacre did occur. Archeologists have found the remains of the settlers in the meadow where the slaughter took place. However, the Mormon Church disavows any connection with the incident. The Mormon sect that committed this atrocity was a radical branch not sanctioned by the church, like the Jihadists in the Muslim world
Interestingly, as the story unfolds, there are flashbacks to Brigham Young (Terence Stamp) being interviewed by authorities regarding the massacre. Then in his 80s, Young said that he would have never sanctioned the massacre. He would have let the settlers go through the Mormon land in peace. Clearly, the sect, lorded over by the evil Bishop Samuelson, had turned into a cult, which fed on Samuelson’s paranoia that anyone from Missouri was wicked.
The film underscores how dangerous religious fanaticism can be to the true believers. In this case, it turned normal men into mass murderers in the name of God. Hey, it happens everyday in our world.
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EU Critic’s Choice Awards
