Brotherhood of Murder is a 1999 television film based on the white supremacist group The Order, its founder Robert Jay Mathews, and the largest cash robbery in US history.[1][2] The film centers around group member-turned-FBI-informant Tom Martinez and his involvement in the group.
| Brotherhood of Murder | |
|---|---|
| Based on | Brotherhood of Murder, by Thomas Martinez |
| Written by | Robert J. Avrech |
| Directed by | Martin Bell |
| Starring | |
| Composer | Laura Karpman |
| Original release | |
| Release | 1999 |
The film is based on the self-published book of the same name by Tom Martinez and John Guinther.[3]
Synopsis
editFollowing his military discharge, Tom Martinez (William Baldwin) returns home to Philadelphia and learns his wife Susan (Kelly Lynch) is pregnant. He struggles to find work to support his family. After losing a job at a bakery, he begins working as a janitor where he is taunted by some black kids. After meeting Walter West (Stephen E. Miller) in a bar, West invites Tom to a meeting of The Order. There, he is introduced to Bob Mathews (Peter Gallagher), leader of the white supremacist group.
The Order funds its activities by robbing video stores and armored cars. But their real source of income turns out to be counterfeiting. After Walter is killed as a traitor, Tom is apprehended by the FBI and used as an informant and witness in their case against The Order.
Cast
edit- William Baldwin as Tom Martinez
- Peter Gallagher as Bob Mathews
- Kelly Lynch as Susan Martinez
Background
editThe film is based on the self-published book Brotherhood of Murder by Tom Martinez and John Guinther about Martinez's recruitment into The Order, and subsequent involvement in the group.[3][4][5]
Reception
editWriting for Variety, Laura Fries described Baldwin's portrayal of Tom Martinez "sympathetic instead of believable", Kelly Lynch's performance as "listless", Laura Karpman's music as "uneven", and Nancy Baker's editing as "entirely random".[6]
References
edit- ^ Mark Deming (2007). "Brotherhood of Murder (1999)". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 4, 2007. Retrieved January 13, 2009.
- ^ Fee, Christopher R.; Webb, Jeffrey B. (2019-05-24). Conspiracies and Conspiracy Theories in American History [2 volumes]. ABC-CLIO. p. 583. ISBN 978-1-4408-5811-6. Archived from the original on 2023-04-16. Retrieved 2023-04-06.
- ^ a b Richardson, Chris (2020-08-11). Violence in American Society: An Encyclopedia of Trends, Problems, and Perspectives [2 volumes]. ABC-CLIO. p. 508. ISBN 978-1-4408-5468-2.
- ^ Kaplan, Jeffrey; Weinberg, Leonard; Weinberg, Leonard G. (1998). The Emergence of a Euro-American Radical Right. Rutgers University Press. p. 220. ISBN 978-0-8135-2564-8.
- ^ Martinez, Thomas; Guinther, John (1999). Brotherhood of Murder. iUniverse. ISBN 978-1-58348-580-4.
- ^ Fries, Laura (1999-12-09). "Brotherhood of Murder". Variety. Archived from the original on 2023-04-04. Retrieved 2023-04-04.