Susan Granger’s review of “September Dawn” (Black Diamond Films)
Bound to incite a new wave of anti-Mormon controversy, “September Dawn” chronicles the horrific real-life Mountain Meadows massacre, the first known act of religious terrorism on U.S. soil and one of the darkest moments in Mormon history.
Back on September 11, 1857, 120 innocent pioneers – men, women and children – en route to California were slaughtered in Utah by a raiding party that claimed direct orders from the Mormon Church hierarchy. Only 17 of the youngest children were spared and later ‘adopted’ by local Mormon families.
When the wagon-train, led by Capt. Alexander Fancher (Shaun Johnston), encounters fanatic Mormon Bishop Jacob Samuelson (Jon Voight), just outside Cedar City, there’s immediate tension. Believing rumors that U.S. troops might remove Territorial Governor Brigham Young (Terence Stamp), the Mormons are distrustful of “Gentiles,” which is what they call anyone not of their faith. While Bishop Samuelson reluctantly allows Capt. Fancher’s party to camp for two weeks, he dispatches his oldest son (Trent Ford) to spy on them and, in doing so, the young man falls in love with the minister’s daughter (Tamara Hope). With its “Romeo and Juliet” theme, tragedy is inevitable as religious fanaticism overwhelms reason.
Determined to be historically accurate, filmmaker Christopher Cain (“Young Guns”) drew on a 27-page confession by John D. Lee, who was convicted for his part in the carnage, along with actual transcripts of Brigham Young’s fiery sermons which instructed, “If any miserable scoundrels come here, cut their throats.”
While the convoluted narrative is, at times, confusing, the cast is convincing, including a cameo by Dean Cain (the director’s son) as slain Mormon Prophet Joseph Smith. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “September Dawn” is a cautionary 6. It’s a stirring Western drama with a timely, pertinent message.
