Reviewers Hate September Dawn Movie

Posted on January 16, 2008

Black Diamond Pictures has released a controversial film called September Dawn on DVD. The film starring Jon Voight and Terence Stamp has stirred controversy over the Mormons' role in an 1857 massacre in Utah.

September Dawn portrays the Mountain Meadows Massacre, in which a wagon train of 120 men, women and children from Arkansas and Missouri were killed in cold blood. The film blames a Mormon militia group. In the past blame for the massacre fell on the Paiute Indians.

The Salt Lake Tribune calls the film "stridently anti-Mormon."

Massacred movie: The biggest LDS-themed movie of 2007 was stridently anti-Mormon: "September Dawn," an idiotically campy and one-sided telling of the events leading up to the Mountain Meadows Massacre, when a Mormon militia killed 120 Arkansas wagon-train members coming through southern Utah. The movie, which cost around $11 million to make and featured hammy acting by Jon Voight and Terence Stamp (as Brigham Young), made just over $1 million at the box office (according to BoxOfficeMojo.com).

Film Roger Critic absolutely hated the movie and gave it zero stars. Ebert also mentioned a couple theories surrounding the movie - that it could be an attempt to derail Mitt Romney's presidential bid or that it might be some sort of 9-11 allegory.

What a strange, confused, unpleasant movie this is. Two theories have clustered around it: (1) It is anti-Mormon propaganda to muddy the waters around the presidential campaign of Mitt Romney, or (2) it is not about Mormons at all, but an allegory about the 9/11/01 terrorists. Take your choice. The problem with allegories is that you can plug them in anywhere. No doubt the film would have great impact in Darfur.

Whatever the filmmakers were trying to do it hasn't been very successful. Rotten Tomatoes listing has the film at just 13% fresh with a 0% fresh rating from top critics.