The Work and the Glory: American Zion (2005)

(New York, Ohio, Missouri; 1830-1834)
IMDb

Second of the flimzations of Gerld R. Lunds popular series of historical fiction novels about the much put upon Steed family. This is a stronger movie then the first one, which I found rather maudlin. The continuing trials of a 19th Century American family divided by religion has residence, not just because a similar dynamic is repeated in LDS circles world wide, but because the drama of brother-against-brother touches upon a vain that is particularly poignant in light of the historical setting. The Mormon/gentile divide, which often ran straight and vehemently down a family line, can be considered a kind of precursor to the American Civil War, in much the same way that the Spanish Civil War of the 1930's prefigured on a smaller scale the events of World War Two.

The primary drama would seem to be just that, the twin stories of brothers Nathan Steed (Alexander Carroll), a Mormon, and Joshua Steed (Eric Johnson), decidedly not. This was also a primary story dynamic in the first film, and while I think it bears better in the sequel, largely in part to greater nuance in the portal of both characters, it is not the most interesting story element. No the most interesting story element has to do with the two men's father Benjamin Steed (Sam Hennings). Benjamin is not a Mormon, yet he is consistently and unwillingly dragged along within the movements orbit, and perhaps more particularly the orbit of Joseph Smith (Jonathan Scarfe), whose storyline receives fuller treatment in this film. When Benjamin's family starts showing interest in Smith and his budding movement, he is at first adamantly against there having any involvement with it. Yet, as can often happen in matter of religion, things get beyond the control of the head of the household, and in short time only Ben and his estranged son Joshua are left without the Church fold. When his family desires to follow Smith and the majority of the Saints to Ohio, Ben holds out as best he can, but in time finds himself again being lead, reluctantly to the center of the LDS movement so as to be with his family.

Benjamen is the proxy for most of the movies non-Mormon viewers. Most likely any non Mormon who would view these films has something of an interest in the Church (or religion or American history more broadly), but he probably knows someone whose in it, probably even like and respect that person, but in all probability has a hard time understanding his (her) bizarre religious tastes. Now this movie can't fully explain those tastes, relatively little relating to matters of doctrine are discussed in it (or the others for that matter). However a gradual thawing is brought across nicely, Benjamin doesn't believe in the Church (though his character is ultimately fated to join it in a later installment) but he's coming to understand it, by virtue of his proximity to its members, their actions, and story's (Brigham Young's mentioning of his prolonged struggle with the Church prior to joining, seems to hit a cored with the man). Perhaps Mormonism can not really be explained to the satisfaction of a non-believer, but that hard to define something that draws people to it can come across when appropriately handled, as I believe it is in this film, far more so then in its somewhat heavy handed predecessor.

Nits: The chronology seemed a little off at places, and there was a fair bit of event compressing, but at least it resulted in a tightness absent from the first chapter. Also on Scarfe's portal of Smith, I'll say right up that no portal is likely to satisfy me, I think the man was an enigma, and the Smith here felt a little to clean. I'd be happy to claim this serene Smith as my own, and I'm sure he had his moments of supreme calm like shown in the movie, but he was a decidedly more complicated figure then portrayed. Never-the-less an idolized version of Joseph Smith does have its place in terms of capturing, not so much how he was, but how he seemed to his followers and how they felt about him. His brief outburst of frustration in light of threat's from the Missouri mob, is the most predominate of two-or-three moments in the film, where the fuller Smith is hinted at.