Mountain Meadows Massacre:September Dawn film

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This page is based on an answer to a question submitted to the FAIR web site, or a frequently asked question.

Question

Does the film about the Mountain Meadows Massacre accurately portray the historical events?

Response

September Dawn is an ill-informed and poorly-done piece of propaganda. Those wishing resources on the historical facts behind the Mountain Meadows tragedy can click here.

Critical reaction

Non-Mormon critics have also realized how biased, sensationalistic, and poorly done the film is. A sample of media quotes about the film:

• "The film feels less like historical drama than a venomous religious tract printed on celluloid." - Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune
• "Cain has co-written and directed a film that only the most bigoted of Mormon detractors could enjoy. Most viewers, if any are willing to part with their money or time, will simply laugh derisively...[Director Cain] has created questionable history and boneheaded drama...Thanks to a cheap production...and even cheaper thinking, anyone who has seen the movie knows that there’s nothing to discuss" - Dan Lybarger, eFilmCritic.com, (24 August 2007). off-site
• "[Director Christopher] Cain has turned the Mormons into baby-eatin' Nazis to suit his argument, parading around these black-clad, chin-bearded, testicle-slicing gunslingers without any thoughtful consideration." - Brian Orndorf, eFilmCritic.com
• "Has serious problems in historical terms. But in this case they're exacerbated by the simple ineptitude of the filmmaking." - Frank Swietek, One Guy's Opinion
• "When watching the screen depiction of a historic event in which 120 people were murdered, giggling is not the appropriate response." - Sean Means, Salt Lake Tribune
• "It has the chilling certitude of the self-righteous." - Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel
• "The jarring MTV-style filmmaking is so distracting and the 'messaging' so unsubtle that after two long hours you find yourself leaving the theater with a massive headache, wondering when you started to hate Mormons." - Brett Register, Orlando Weekly
• "If the Western genre is struggling, it's because of terrible movies like this one." - Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid

If readers are aware of quotes about the film not available here, they are encouraged to contact FAIR.