The 1881 gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, AZ, is certainly the best-known Old West battle between lawmen and outlaws. But the 1918 shootout at Jeff Power's remote cabin in Arizona's Galiuro Mountains was arguably more deadly and controversial. Filmmaker Cameron Trejo's Power's War tells the story of what led to a bloody and unnecessary battle between an ambitious lawman and Power's family, and its aftermath. Along the way, the film offers historical context that may surprise many viewers about the American government's treatment of dissenters and draft dodgers during World War I (the social backdrop of the Power tragedy), which was an extremely unpopular conflict among many citizens. Seeking independence and a different life, the widower Jeff Power led his sons, daughter, and mother to the Arizona mountains where he built a home far from anyone else. In time, members of the family would strike out on their own, die of natural causes, and in one mysterious case appear to have committed suicide. Jeff's natural resistance to the idea of his sons being drafted sets off a series of events culminating in death, flight, imprisonment, and a remarkable finale in this sad but colorful historical episode that is literally set between Old West aspirations and the beginnings of modernity in the early 20th century. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)
Power's War
(2016) 64 min. In English & Spanish w/English subtitles. DVD: $24.99 ($199 w/PPR). Dreamscape Media. Closed captioned. Volume 33, Issue 2
Power's War
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