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September Dawn (2007) DVD Review
September Dawn (2007) DVD Credits:
September Dawn (2007) Directed by:
Christopher Cain
September Dawn (2007) Written by:
Christopher Cain, Carole Whang Schutter
September Dawn (2007) Cast:
Lolita Davidovich, Jon Voight, Terence Stamp, Dean Cain, Trent Ford, Tamara Hope
September Dawn (2007) Released by:
Black Diamond Pictures
Region:
1
September Dawn (2007) DVD Release Date:
2nd January 2008
Our Rating: Extras Rating:

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September Dawn (2007) Synopsis:

A love story set against the 19th century massacre of a wagon train of settlers in Utah at the hands of a renegade Mormon group. Voight plays the leader of the renegade Mormon faction, while Davidovich is a member of the wagon train who stands up to Voight's threats.

September Dawn (2007) DVD Review:

September Dawn is a film that piques your interest because of the surrounding controversy. Unfortunately, the film cannot deliver and fails to properly combine the assets of fact, fiction, and filmmaking.

Written by Carole Whang Schutter and Christopher Cain and directed by Christopher Cain, September Dawn is one of those films that revolves around a very specific event in history. In September of 1857, an Arkansas wagon train stopped in Utah on its way to California. There they were intercepted by the local ruling Mormons, who gave them a place to rest known as the Mountain Meadows. Before the Arkansas Company was able to leave, they were descended upon and murdered, one hundred-twenty men, women, and children, in a vicious attack forever known as the Mountain Meadows Massacre. The Mormons allied with a group of local Indians were responsible for the destructive piece of history and this film depicts that in the most extreme of lights.

Jacob Samuelson (Jon Voight) is the local bishop and general that acts as the hand of Brigham Young (Terence Stamp), who orders the Massacre in the name of God, although it is spun to be more in the name of the deceased prophet, Joseph Smith (Dean Cain). In the mix of all the religious fanaticism and confusion lurk a few main characters unknowing of the building tension. Jonathan Samuelson (Trent Ford) is the eldest son sent to spy on the traveling group but he soon falls in love with a wild horse in their possession as well as their pastor’s daughter, Emily (Tamara Hope). Jonathan’s father frowns upon their love because he sees the people as an enemy of the church.

Captain Fancher (Shaun Johnston) is easily the most likable character. He’s the head of the company and is naturally good-hearted. The worst character depicted in the film is the bishop’s other son, Micah (Taylor Handley). He plays the role of the good-natured obedient son that turns into a bloodthirsty maniac because of his allegiance to his father and church. In all honesty, the backstories to these characters, when delivered, feel a little force and almost irrelevant. It seems like they wanted to build some sympathy for the Mormons but not too much. Most likely, the film would have been more engaging had the antagonistic enemies of these innocent travelers been more sympathetic.

September Dawn pulls its punches at the Mormon Church but doesn’t go as far as to say anything that is untrue or venture into some of the deeper obscurities found within the religion. One of the most interesting things about this film is how it portrays these Mormons. Yes, it shows the tension of the period and how they were concerned with being run from their land, etc. But the audience is deeply exposed to how brainwashed the Mormon characters are and how even some of the controlling higher powers, such as Bishop Samuelson, are mindless in their decision making. It’s eerie to see how this religious group personifies their controlled minds by repeating phrases, such as “gentiles,” without even knowing why they really use the term and indulging in such strange and cultic practices as the overly ritualistic baptism of Jonathan. The mind control grabs your attention much more than the other subplots that are force-fed.

Unfortunately, this film feels much too much like a made for TV movie. The only reason the film has an “R” rating is because of the violence, which seems overly unnecessary at times. Seeing a man get castrated in the shadows and have his testicles pinned to the outside of his house gets a laugh rather than a dropped jaw. The ending montage of killing goes entirely too long and may have worked had it been even more graphic. This biggest problem with September Dawn is its inability to go headstrong in the directions it needs to and to likewise back off in others.

The Special Features for the film are below average and on the verge of being simply poor. All there is to find is two featurettes: True Events: A Historical Perspective and Descendents: Remembering the Tragedy. Both have a handful of interesting points but they are weak overall. We do get some interviews from relatives of those involved but that doesn’t shine any new light on the subject. The only historian to comment throughout is a minister and there is no mention of his qualifications. What would have been nice to see is a couple of qualified experts from each side of the story discussing and helping everyone better understand what happened on September 11, 1857.

September Dawn will be an interesting film for those familiar and unfamiliar with the even alike at first because of the controversy and interesting premise but that is not enough to save mediocre subplots mixed with mediocre filmmaking. In the end, this comes off as more of a movie that might have worked on television rather than a feature film.

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September Dawn (2007) DVD review written by: Bryce Carlson

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