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The Mountain Meadows Massacre is historical fact.
by James A (movies profile)
Mar 28, 2008
123
of
160 people found this review helpful
I've been to Mountain Meadows. I've read 3 books on the subject. My own Mormon ancestors were involved with that wagon train, but not the massacre. If you think this story was concocted only to embarrass the Mormons, look up Mountain Meadows Massacre on the net, or read "Blood of the Prophets" by Will Bagley.
This movie is highly fictionalized, in that Jonathon, Emily story and John Voight's part are all fiction. But the massacre itself took place very much as depicted in this movie. John D Lee's role is depicted accurately including his execution 20 years later at the site of the massacre.
This may not be the greatest movie ever made in terms of the cinematic arts, but it is not an unwarranted attack on the Mormons. What I wish people would take from this movie is to question how far they can be misled. Those old Mormons were good people, but they were isolated and led by fanatics. Those were mostly good men who were led into committing an awful deed. Had you been one of them, would you have stood up against it? That's the question this movie ought to lead you to.
I agree this movie left me feeling dark inside. That's the way I felt when I first went to Mountain Meadows and read the names of the victims on the monument there. There were enough murdered children to form a cubscout pack. It is a place with an awful feel to it. |
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