I Wanted To Like This...

I wanted to like this movie. I really did. But, I can’t.

I will explain. First off, no, I am not a Mormon. But I have no animosity towards Mormons and enjoyed the old “Brigham Young” movie from the 1940’s, and recently found it on my shelf. I wanted to supplement it as I love Historical Films. However, when I watched this one, I just balked.

I got it on the Doctrine and Covenants DVD, which also contains a bad ( And ultimately inaccurate in a way that makes the Church look Awful if you think about it) rendition of the John Tanner Story. It also has “Only A Stonecutter” and “Legacy’, and one other film I’ve not seen yet. Both Legacy and Only A Stonecutter were, however, excellent. Especially Stonecutter. But this movie just sagged.

First off, the Actor who played Smith never came off as anything than an actor who was playing Smith. He had about as much conviction as a Dinner Theatre regular. When compared to the Smith Actor in “Legacy”, or Vincent Price in “Brigham Young”, he’s just not at all impressive.

But besides that, the Film spent all its time on the Persecution and turmoil’s that it never developed its Characters, or even explained the reasons for the Persecution. I realise that its not possible to include everything in a single Film but, it would have helped tremendously getting a good look at who was running them out of Missouri and what Justification they used other than “We hate Mormons”.

Also, the focus on the loss of life, homes, and endless sorrows left one thinking that this was all the Mormons had. A rag tag band of Faithful marching in mud, sleeping in the woods, and forever harassed. None of the happy times were ever visited at all. Or the answers to prayers. Or the fact that they managed to build up Nauvoo to be the then largest City in all Illinois. I mean, the accomplishments of the Mormons, their Faith, and how they called on God who delivered them would be a VAST Improvement over this films generally negative depiction of the Time Period. Instead we have weak Mormons driven out of territories constantly and forever. Its not only depressing, but it undermines the Theme of the Movie.




Then there is the central object of the Film, Joseph Smith Jr..

This is suppose to be a Biography about him, and while I realise that as a Mormon film its going to be filled with praise of the Man, this film depicted him as too perfect as if he never did anything wrong.. Even the scene that showed him doubting was so brief as to be easily missed.

This was not a Human Joseph Smith we can read about in the Mormon Scriptures, this is a cardboard Smith who is near perfect and who never does anything but be perfect. Even Jesus wasn’t like this folks! Movies about Jesus show him angering the Priesthood in Jerusalem, or causing controversy for who he speaks to or stays with. Jesus caused Scandal by staying with Tax Collectors or speaking to Prostitutes, and angered the Priesthood because he threatened their predominance. He angered the Pharisees as he contradicts their strict observance and specific beliefs.

With Smith in this movie, he just moves into town and everyone hates him and his Followers because they are Mormons. No other discussion, no real reason why, that’s it.

This flaw is in fact persistent in the whole film. Moroni shows up at the beginning to tell him about the Book of Mormon for Instance, but all he gets to o is materialise in Young Josephs Bedroom and turn around. We barely see his Face.

The movie spends no time at all on the Translation of the Book of Mormon. Its just glossed over.

We begin to see story development when Joseph Meets Emma but then, we jump to them being married without Emma’s Father’s Consent.

COME ON!

If your going to spend a lot of time on his Leg Operation hat never played into any part of his life shown in the film later, why not develop his affection for Emma? Or show him getting the Book? Or let Moroni have a speaking line? Or allow him to talk to God the Father and Jesus Christ his Son? Or show him Translate the Book of Mormon? I mean, this is “The Prophet Of The Restoration”, right? No, we just skip those parts and jump to him burying his First Born, and from then on it shows nothing but endless Tragedy, devoid of any real context.


At the end this is the most apparent. He is summoned to Carthage and they talk about bow he will be killed if he goes but they never cover the incident with the Printing Press that was the Impetus for the Summons.

At the end, the movie was just disjointed, focused too much on the Persecution without explaining it, and cut too much out for us to understand the motives of these people.

As bad as many think the Brigham Young movie is with Tyrone Power, it’s a world of improvement over this. At least everyone’s motives is explained to some degree.

I just wish we’d seen a Biography of Smith that told the full story, showing Motives and interactions with others, and showing us how he was used to Restore the Church of Jesus Christ to the Earth.

I’m sorry, I just didn’t find this movie to be all that good.