The Guyana massacre
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | The Guyana massacre |
| Original title | Guyana Tragedy |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1980 |
| length | 192 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | William A. Graham |
| script |
Michael Kane , Jerry Belson , Brock Yates |
| production |
Frank Konigsberg , Charles A. Krause , Ernest Tidyman |
| music | Elmer Bernstein |
| camera | Gil Hubbs |
| cut |
Tony de Zarraga , Aaron Stell |
| occupation | |
| |
The Guyana Massacre (Original: Guyana Tragedy or The Mad Messiah ) is an American film directed by William A. Graham from 1980.
The film focuses on the activities of cult leader Jim Jones and the murders and mass suicides of members of his cult in 1978 in Jonestown , Guyana . The basis was the book Guyana Massacre: The Eyewitness Account by Charles A. Krause and an article in the Washington Post . It first aired on US television on April 15, 1980 on CBS Television . In the German-speaking world, the film was also marketed as the Guiana Cult of the Damned .
action
The plot of the film begins in the 1960s and shows Jim Jones' path from an idealist to the initiator of the great mass suicide in November 1978 at the Peoples Temple in Jonestown , Guyana . At the beginning of the film you can see Jones speaking on the street as a charismatic preacher. He encounters brutal racism in his environment and opposes it. he believes in equality and equality for all races and occasionally risks falling victim to violence. When he later moves to San Francisco , he becomes better known, more powerful, and more influential. He begins to believe strongly in the nuclear holocaust. He convinced hundreds of his followers to follow him to Guyana. There they set up a small parallel world. Jones feels defamed by the press in the USA. Congressman Leo Ryan becomes aware of Jones through reports that members are held there and travels to Guyana. He promises security to those who want to return to the USA. Then at night the preparation for the tragedy begins. Ryan witnesses the mass suicide. Those who don't want to kill themselves will be murdered by cult members, including Ryan.
Characters
Jones 'family members are based on people from Jones' real family. The characters Clayton and Jean Richie are based on Timothy and Grace Stoen and David Langtree based on Larry Schacht. Details were varied. And some characters have been reduced, i.e. H. their properties were summarized in characters.
production
The film tries to combine features of the feature film with those of the documentary film. James Earl Jones plays Father Divine . The closing scenes are based on the FBI's "death tape". The film was shot in Puerto Rico and Georgia
criticism
A 1980 review in Time praised the film. It was criticized that Jones' early life was described too extensively. Why a preacher became a sex and drug addict megalomaniac who his disciples followed uncritically is not explained convincingly.
“Well-researched television game about the mass suicide of 775 sect members in Georgetown (Guiana) in 1977. The self-proclaimed priest Jim Jones had instigated his community to do this after an assassination attempt on a US senator who wanted to initiate an investigation against his sect. The film leaves some questions unanswered. "
Awards
Leading Actor Powers Boothe , who plays Jim Jones , won an Emmy in 1980 for "Outstanding Achievement by a Leading Actor in a Miniseries". The film was nominated for three Emmy Awards in the categories: Sound Mixing, Direction and Outstanding Drama Special. The film was nominated for an Eddie Award by the American Cinema Editors for best editing.
Web links
- The Guyana massacre in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- The Guyana massacre at Rotten Tomatoes (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Alan Hedblad: Something About the Author . Gale, 2000, ISBN 0-7876-4031-X , p. Page 95.
- ↑ a b Erickson, Hal., Plot Synopsis , Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones , Allmovie , accessed June 10, 2007.
- ↑ Scarecrow Video: The Scarecrow Video Movie Guide . Sasquatch Books, 2004, ISBN 1-57061-415-6 , p. Page 467.
- Jump up ↑ Yearbook of the Encyclopedia Americana: The Americana Annual: An Encyclopedia of Current Events . Grolier, 1981, p. Page 521.
- ↑ Frank Rich: Ratings Gambit: GUYANA TRAGEDY: THE STORY OF JIM JONES . In: Time Magazine , Time Warner , April 14, 1980.
- ↑ The Guyana Massacre. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed October 27, 2016 .
- ↑ Jan Lundius, Mats Lundahl: Peasants and Religion . Routledge, 1999, ISBN 0-415-17411-2 , p. 311.
- ↑ Don Franks: Entertainment Awards: A Music, Cinema, Theater and Broadcasting Reference, 1928 Through 1993 . McFarland & Co Inc Pub, 1996, p. Page 56.
- ^ Awards for Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones , Internet Movie Database, Amazon.com. Retrieved June 10, 2007.