Customer Reviews

Brigham Young: Frontiersman [VHS]

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is an interesting film. You have to admit that Mormonism is quite an American phenomenon, and Brigham Young is quite an American. He was one of the great trailblazers, and after seeing the 2002 Olympics, you must admit that there was something going on here beyond mere spiritual skullduggery.

This film was made with an "arm's distance" approval of the hierarchy of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Indeed, for some reason, Mormon prophet David O. McKay had a quite cordial relationship with Cecil B. DeMille, and the great filmmaker willed Brigham Young University his papers.

This is quite an interesting film, and has many of the conventions of the era. Porter Rockwell is played as comic relief rather than the rough and tumble mountain man's mountain man that he was. Vincent Price makes an interesting Joseph Smith, with that eerie twinge to his voice giving a sense of mystery. Tyrone Power did a wonderful job of breathing life into a man who was larger than life, and Linda Darnell isn't overwhelmed by her role or her character.

The sets are a major part of the film. You can almost taste the trail dust. Filming on location adds to the power of the film, and the black and white gives the film an Ansel Adams feel. You see the long trails across the long plains, plus the ragged Rocky Mountains. While they were filming, there was an actual outbreak of crickets in Nevada, so they sent a camera crew out, and you are seeing the real thing!

True to all historical fiction, this film's history is subservient to the fiction. For those wanting the facts, I suggest Leonard Arrington's aptly-titled "Brigham Young: American Moses." For a sample of his theology, there is "Discourses of Brigham Young," compiled by John A Widtsoe.

The film in itself is a good, especially for the AMC and Turner Classics fans that like films that wisely omit the salacious sex, machine gun profanity, or scene after scene of computer generated effects that glitz in an attempt to cover up a feeble story line. This is good, solid Americana film that hearkens back to the days of pre-cause-oriented Hollywood.

Considering that this movie was made in 1939 and 1940 it is an amazing achievement. The special effects are quite impressive for the time: The birds-eye view of the wagons leaving Nauvoo with the temple in center screen, Crossing the Missouri frozen river, Nauvoo homes and temple burning in the background across the river, all of the wagons and oxen crossing plains, rivers, climbing mountains, etc. But especially the near-final scene of the locusts and the seagulls (which were mostly all real).

Dean Jagger does a remarkable job as Brigham Young. He resembles him closely and even has a similar voice, according to a crew-member who was hired for coaching because he knew Brigham personally, and was around 16 when Brigham died in 1877 (50 years before filming this picture). Interesting trivia note: Dean Jagger was not LDS when he made this film but later married a Mormon woman and subsequently joined the church.

Vincent Price respected Joseph Smith greatly and had great reverence and admiration for him while playing the role of the prophet. His screentime is minimal but he does a fine job (in spite of being 10 years older than the man he was portraying).

The LDS first presidency approved the script, even though it veered from the truth on many points. They did this because they agreed that it helped make the picture more dramatic and exciting. Personally, I would prefer historical accuracy over romance or excitement, but that's how it was back then. Successful movies had a sort of recipe, and they wanted this one to follow that recipe as close as it could.

But all-in-all it paints an accurate picture of America in the 1840's and 50's and the trek of the early Mormon pioneers.

I recommend it, but if you can, watch the excellent commentary afterwards. It clears up fact from fiction and is very enlightening.

Film: 3 stars

DVD extras: 4 stars

Weighted average score: 4 stars

Having given up on Hollywood's latest offerings, which are over-produced, over-digitalized, over-sexed, over-cussed, and over-violent, I am now exploring movies made before my time, in a kinder, gentler era. As such, I enjoyed Brigham Young very much. Although it is true that much of the story is not historically accurate, the descriptive comments that overlay the movie explain each departure from fact, and the reasons that it was done. As I knew something about the LDS church and its history, I was not disappointed or shocked to learn, e.g., that Brigham and Joseph Smith did not meet in the place depicted in the movie. The spirit of the story is well-retained, from the early persecutions of the Mormons to the settling of the Great Salt Lake Valley. The movie is well-cast and well-acted. I especially liked Dean Jagger as Brigham, and Linda Darnell as Zina - what a surprise to learn that she was only 16 at the time! She more than holds her own in scenes with far more experienced actors.

It is not true that the subject of polygamy is mentioned only once. It is confronted several times, including as the subject of a fierce argument between Linda Darnell and Tyrone Power. Brigham admits to having 12 wives at the time of the trek (he had 27, count 'em, by the end of his life), and there are other allusions to polygamy, e.g., the frequent presence of his second wife alongside his first. The script presents the viewer with a "this is how it was" attitude. You may decide whether you approve or disapprove.

Having the comments version available after we watched the movie greatly enhanced our understanding of the history. The comments include some interesting details about location filming and casting decisions. I was amazed to learn that the locust scenes were actually filmed during a locust invasion in Nevada, and that this was a grueling experience for the cast and crew. Those are real bugs! I was also amused to hear that the depiction of Joseph Smith's murder was very controversial. It was considered extremely violent, and the director fought not to have it edited. The average TV cop show today is infinitely rougher than anything in this flick!

All in all, a very nice movie for a pleasant evening, with some popcorn and an open mind.

This movie is not historically accurate, so it's important to watch the movie twice and listen to James D'Arc's comments during one viewing of the movie. He explains which scenes are for drama and why they were shown that way. He explains the true account of the trek west. In fact, I felt that his comments were far more valuable than the movie itself. The cricket scene is especially moving as he tells how the people in the scene were not acting when they fought those crickets. It was horrible and some did not think it was worth the money to be in that scene. However, as in the historical account of the Mormon Crickets, the seagulls came to their rescue after a prayer for help was said. Even though the movie is not completely accurate, it's still a touching drama.

I love this film. I am not a Mormon. I am a Catholic. I have great respect for the Mormon faith because of their values. Though, true, this film is historically inaccurate, the production values are first rate! It is true that the Mormons were run out of every town they tried to settle in. It is beyond reproach the way these people were treated just because "they were Mormons". The cinematography is superb!! The musical score in unforgettable and the acting is excellent, particularly Vincent Price as Joseph Smith. Jane Darwell has another memorable mother role as Eliza Kent. The struggles portrayed during their pioneering movement is inspiring and edifying. The DVD transfer is excellent and there are some nice extras in here namely, a great commentary and an A&E biography of Linda Darnell. Truly a great, inspirational film, no matter what your faith is!!

Overall, I thought that this was a well done movie. I thought the story concept of religious persecution and trying to learn to listen to God and follow Him were beautifully woven into this historical event. However, it was a fractured history on many occasions. There is a trial at the beginning (beautiful story telling) that never occurred because Joseph Smith never had a trial in Carthage and Brigham Young was on a mission in Boston. The flight from Nauvoo occurred two years after Joseph's death, not in a few days. The Mormons left Nauvoo in groups, not all at once with gunmen chasing them. Also, while it is true that Brigham Young doubted his callings to be a prophet, it was a vision he had at winter quarters in Nebraska that changed his doubting, not that he was still doubting at the Salt Lake Valley. I felt, overall, that the movie was good and most Latter-day Saints will actually appreciate this motion picture.

I watched this movie this afternoon and for a movie of 1939 - 1940 I was very impressed and liked it a great deal. Although it is not historically accurate, i.e., the trial of Joseph Smith which never took place, Brigham Young's closing arguement never took place because he was in Boston when Joseph Smith was murdered. The scenes of Carthage Jail were at times very close to the real jail, however, the movie did not protray the murder as it should have. It shows the mob barging in, then shooting Joseph Smith, when in reality, Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith and their other companions fought back trying to keep the mob at bay. Hyrum Smith was Shot in the face and John Taylor was wounded. Joseph was shot from both withing the room and from the ground. He did fall through the window to the ground below. Also, before the trial, Joseph Smith never said the saints were not going to leave and they would not turn the cheek anymore. Joseph Smith was charge with destroying a printing press and was charged with treason. The printing press was ordered destroyed by the town council for printing false information about the church. He and his brother Hyrum left Nauvoo for their safety, but many of the Saints lost faith and critized Joseph for leaving. So he returned to face his trail. He and his brother traveled to Carthage with the promise from the Illinois Governor he would be protected. Joseph and a small number of his friends traveled to Carthage without armed escort and turned himself in. Joseph Smith never received a trail, nor was he protected as promised, nor was he legally convicted of any crime. A blood thirsty mob of over 100 (against four) stormed the jail and murdered two people without their due process of law. The Nauvoo Legion was in exsistence at the time and the Carthage town was affraid the legion would attack, but it never did. The movie depicts the Mormons leaving right away, but in reallity, it was two years later. Brigham Young was not the Prophet at the time and many other leaders tried to envolk their status as the next Prophet. Brigham Young was the president of the quorium of the twelve aposoles. Sidney Rigdon felt he should be the next leader of the church and tried to persuade the saints to follow him, but it was Brigham Young they chose after a serman he gave where many of the saints saw the face of Joseph Smith in the face of Brigham Young. Three of the Aposoles did not follow Brigham Young. One of the comments on this movie was that Joseph Smith had appointed his son, Joseph Smith Jr., to be the next prophet which has been a topic of debate since the death of Joseph Smith. As stated, Sydney Rigdon believed he was the next prophet. Joseph Smith Jr., never accepted his status as prophet of the "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints," and only after three years after his father's death did he accept the position of Prophet of the "Reorganized Church of Latter Day Saint," now known as the "Community of Christ." Brigham Young did organize several treks from Nauvoo to the Salt Lake Valley. He was the leader at the time, but never was sustained as Prophet of the Church until several years after arriving in the Salt Lake Valley. One of the commenters about this movie said the reason for the Mormons being driven from every community they leaved in was because they were a law unto themselves, they counterfieted money, they lured young underage girls into polygamous marriages and a life time of slavery. The Mormons had vast arsenals of weapons and they threatened everyone who disagreed with them. This Commenter also mentioned the "Mountain Meadows Massacre" and so called public whipping ordered by Brigham Young. I've never heard of the Mormons being a law unto themselves, although they may have kept to themselves as much as they could after being persecuted and having their homes destroyed, property stolen, women raped, and men and children murdered. I would like to say to this commenter to read the Twelth Article of Faith which states "We believe in obeying the law of the land." The mormons believed in this even as they traveled to the Salt Lake Valley, when the Government of the United States, Who failed to protect them from Mobs who violated their Constitutional rights, asked them to form a Battalion during the Mexican War. Many of the Saints were against doing so, but Brigham Young said it was the right thing to do. As far as the counterfiet money, the Church as well as many other communities organised their own banking system. As in all banks, people put their money in and the bank invest it and pays interest to its customers. The Church did print money as did other banks for the purpose of their own use as many of the communities would not trade with them. However, the banking system in that day failed and was one of the worst situations during the time. The Church and it's customers lost money as did several banks not LDS. Several Members blamed Joseph Smith because he promised if they remained faithful and obeyed the commandments of God, they would be protected. But many of the saints did not follow Joseph Smith's council. Polygamy was practiced during the time and is mentioned twice in the movie, but only suttle. It is not true the women were treated as slaves and they were never forced into the marriage. Less than 3% of the church practiced Polygamy and did so because it was a commandment of God, (from the book Brigham Young and His Wives). If people believe in the King James Version of the Bible, which LDS people do, then one would read of several polygamy incidents where God commanded and accepted his children practicing it. As for the arsenal of weapons. Well probably true as communities of that time period formed Malitias to protect themselves, so the LDS people were not alone in this practice. "Mountain Meadow Massacre" did happen and shouldn't have, but the entire church was not to blame just as the entire communities of Palmyra, Kirkland Ohio, Independence, Hauns Mill, and Far West Missioui, and eventually Nauvoo Illinois were not to blame. One must realize that in 1857 Utah was at War with the United States and a U.S. Army was coming to invade. Many LDS people were scared and upset, believing they were going to be driven out of their homes again. Brigham Young ordered the Saints not to bother the wagon train of people passing through Utah, but the ones in Mountain Meadows didn't listen and the incident happened. But that doesn't mean the entire church should be to blame. Now back to the movie. Although not historically accurate, it is an outstanding movie with a few historical events. If your LDS, then I highly recommend this movie for your collection of movies about the church. If your not LDS and your purpose is to degrade the church no matter what, then this movie isn't for you because even if it was historically accurate, you would still find fault with it and continue your pursecution as those during the time period.

I've enjoyed the movie with tyrone power, since he was one of my favorate actors in those early years. It's a great story about a

man - but see it for yourself I can only recommend it.

When I first saw this movie on the shelf at our local video store, I had to see it. Being a mormon myself and an LDS Church history buff, I had to see how Hollywood depicted my ancestors. The basic plot to the story is correct. The mormons were driven out of Nauvoo, Il., by angry and violent mobs, but the rest of the story is lacking in any real historical basis. Nice to see Hollywood recognizing a true and potentially a good American story to tell, I just wish they could get the facts straight.

Okay, Im an atheist. A fire breathing Objectivist. And I loved this movie. Its so well done that a tiny bit of me converts, I swear to god, at least for the duration of the flick. Explains a lot about what I like about Mormons!

Its also a great adventurous tale of pioneering in the olden days when men were men.... The special effects are quite good. Tyrone Power, great as always, and the the woman who plays Zina is hard to forget and very convincing. But maybe I just go in for this sort of somewhat cheesy American individualist against the elements, Oregon Trail, thing.

Terrific for late night drinking and rainy afternoons and to inspire that long lost American Pioneer in you. I'm serious!

Enjoy.