Movies and culture

Brigham City -- Gripping Murder Mystery, Amazingly Spiritual Sterling Allan criticizes Richard Dutcher, the director of Brigham City, for having the sheriff get the men of the community to search homes without a search warrant. "Such actions," Allan says, "present a dangerous precedent for violating fundamental rights to privacy. Even dire circumstances such as presented in this movie, do not provide a waiver of those rights. Such excuses are what fueled Nazi Germany." Then, Allan claims that incorporating such a tactic into the movie is "a scary sample depiction of how ready the Mormon community is to give up their fundamental rights in the name of expediency." "This, unfortunately, is a fair depiction of a general shallowness when it comes to an understanding of freedom's parameters among the mainstream LDS community. It is one of the attributes that makes them likely candidates to stand in line when the mark of the beast is enforce...

brighamcity "I guess the big surprise for me was in how well the murder mystery was crafted and so smoothly intertwined with the film's religious trappings." -Dennis Schwartz Swartz comments: "The film is unique in the way it so easily interweaves the church Sunday meetings and group prayer sessions in with the murder investigation, and though its aim is to get across its faith-based message the film nevertheless remains entertaining." This intermingling of mystery and Mormon culture makes this movie appealing to me. Brigham City was created for a Mormon audience, but it also can stand alone as a mystery story. My students who are non-LDS were also entertained and found the interweaving of religious symbolism, enhanced rather than detracted from the movie. If there is a faith-based message, it is that among all congregations may be wolves dressed in sheeps clothing. There is certainly no effort in the movie to proselytize, even to the converted. Th...