Savage Messiah (2002)
Savage Messiah is a docudrama about Roch "Moïse" Thériault, the charismatic former leader of a small religious group based near Burnt River, Ontario, Canada. Between 1977 and 1989 he held sway over as many as 12 adults and 26 children. He used all of the nine women as concubines, and probably fathered most of the children in the group. During his reign, Thériault mutilated several members. His major crime was to kill Solange Boilard, his legal wife, by disembowelment while trying to perform surgery on her. He was arrested for assault in 1989, and convicted of murder in 1993. Along with Clifford Olsen and Paul Bernardo, Thériault is considered one of Canada's most notorious criminals.
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I love this movie so much
This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.
The film may be flawed, but its message is not.
An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.
Although I have yet to view this movie, the comments tell me that it is a "must see". I am a writer in the horror genre, and, in order to write horror I must research for my works. In my personal opinion, Charles Manson, whom I've read about in many books and have seen the movie Helter Skelter, is an altar boy in comparison with many of the serial killers who have come and gone. This Roch Thériault seems like the person that Manson wanted to be but didn't have the cajones to be. Alain Légère aka the Terror of Miramichi is another Canadian serial killer that makes Manson seem like a boy scout. I will have to rent this movie to get a better understanding of Roch Thériault - the man.
This excellent drama is one of the best films about a cult that I have seen since the early eighties (SPLIT IMAGE and TICKET TO HEAVEN spring to mind from that era). The supporting performance by Quebecois actress Isabelle Blais is Oscar-worthy. Her portrayal of a brainwashed woman who finally sees the light is the film's most memorable aspect, but all of the performances are top notch.
Canadian films are often lambasted for being arty and full of weird sex. This has been perpetrated from the likes of Atom Egoyan films. Savage Messiah does not stray from this, but it walks the line in an honest way, that is very creepy. The cinematography looks like it was shot for nothing, as it most likely was. The performances, however, almost make you forget that sloppy camera work. Few films can really creep out my media-jaded generation, but this one certainly got through to me. I will not be able to forget it. This film makes up for a lot of Canadian films that have lacked the balls to really send a message. Good on ya.
Very well done for a Canadian film. The film captured the true reality of these children and women whom suffered greatly! Sort of disturbing to know that this is a true story. The only problem that I had with the movie was that I couldn;'t figure out what province they were in. *SPOILER* Roche and his family (if you can call it that) have french accents so there is an assumption this is where it is talking place. When the police show up to do their business they are in OPP cars yet when the movie is finished they literally blurt out that this happened in Nova Scotia.