I've been an Atheist so long I can barely remember
first thinking about religion. This is not to say that I don't believe in an
afterlife or spiritual forces, both good and evil. My divergence with mainstream
religion is simple. I believe spiritual forces are as individual as the former
lives they had been and not separated soldiers of any particular army, sect or
religion. My Atheist worldview should not be confused with "evil." I am
firmly entrenched in the camp of good and helping Mankind, not hellbent on
destroying it.
My
intended message in The Last Word
is one of non-violence, anti-vengeance and ultimate forgiveness. That is
precisely why (for the benefit of Christians in favor of the death penalty) I
started and ended the film with reference to Genesis . . . "He who sheds the
blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed." My understanding of this part
of the Bible is not that it gives a license to kill those who shed the blood of
another man. Instead, I believe the words mean that we perpetuate a cycle of
violence whenever we sanction the killing of anther person. At the end of the
film Bishop Matthieson opines that the "cycle of violence" will never end until
we forgive. "Not forget! But forgive." Only naïve viewers will walk away
from The Last Word with the belief
that it was intended to immortalize Johnny Frank Garrett and his "Wild West"
last stand. This film is not a celebration of vengeance or violence. In his
last words Garrett advised that his curse was nothing more than a reflection of
"Society" and the actions of his enemies.
While
I was writing Leoncio's Candle of Death I had a dream (or nightmare) which ultimately made it into the book at
Chapter 32. In the dream I came face to face with Garrett and he asked me to
tell his mother he was alive. The dream occurred at the St. James Hotel in
Cimmeron, New Mexico and happened precisely as I've written in Chapter 32.
Throughout the entire production of The Last Word I felt a connection to Garrett and it never once felt
evil. I believe his only desire was to comfort his mother with a final verdict
they deserved. Had I felt manipulated by some evil force or intent I would
have abandoned the film immediately.
My
strongest desire is that The Last Word be understood by viewers as a recipe for either continued failure or
evolution to a higher moral standard. No one element of society is to blame or
responsible for correcting this societal failure called "capital punishment."
The causes are many. In the case of Johnny Frank Garrett, The Last Word rightfully casts a shameful finger in many
directions. His mother. His evil step-fathers. His prosecutor. Law
enforcement. Lazy lawyers.
Politicized judges.
Bloodthirsty media. Fearful jurors. Religious zealots. A crooked Medical
Examiner. A blind Supreme Court and a self-serving Texas Governor. As Garrett
stated in his final letter - - "Society" is to blame.
As
I reviewed our final-cut at home one night I felt an eerie familiarity with
another story from the past. I racked my brain for days trying to remember and
then finally it struck me! The story was not just any story from the past but,
according to some, the most important story every told. It goes something like
this:
A
CITY TREMBLES WITH FEAR. TERRIFIED OF A MAN WHOS ACTIONS THREATEN THE SURVIVAL
OF AN ENTIRE GOVERNMENT.
THE
MAN IS HUNTED DOWN, ARRESTED AND ACCUSED OF CAPITAL CRIMES.
DENIED
A MEANINGFUL LAWYER HE IS FORCED TO BE TRIED IN A COURT WITHOUT RULES AND
BEFORE A JUDGE WHO WILL ASSURE HIS EXECUTION. A JUDGE WHO KNOWS THE TRUTH OF
THIS MAN'S INNOCENCE.
THE
ACCUSED MAN IS SURROUNDED BY 12 TRUSTED SOULS WHO ARE CHARGED WITH A COMMOM
MISSION - - - TO FIND AND SPEAK THE TRUTH. ONE OF THE 12 WHO ORIGINALLY
BELIEVED IN HIM BETRAYED HIM AND TURNED HIS BACK ON THE TRUTH. THIS TRAITOR
KNEW HIS BETRAYAL WOULD CAUSE AN INNOCENT MAN TO BE EXECUTED.
EVEN
IN THE FACE OF DEATH THE CONDEMNED MAN REFUSED TO RECANT HIS PROFESSION OF
INNOCENCE.
WITH
HIS EXECUTION IMMINENT HE REACHED OUT TO A HOLY FATHER FOR HELP AND GUIDANCE.
IN
PUBLIC VIEW HE IS STRAPPED DOWN ARMS OUTSTREACHED ON DISPLAY FOR ALL TO WITNESS
HIS AGONY AND LACK OF POWER.
HE
THANKS HIS MOTHER WHO CAME TO WITNESS HER ONLY SON'S EXECUTION FOR CRIMES HE
DID NOT COMMIT.
SHE
TRIES TO COMFORT HER SON WITH WORDS. UNABLE TO TOUCH HIM, SHE BEGINS TO PRAY
AS DEATH NEARS.
WITH
HIS DYING BREATH HE PROCLAIMED THAT HE WAS DYING FOR THEIR SINS AND PROMISED
THAT SOMEDAY HE WOULD RETURN, RISE FROM THE DEAD AND FULFILL A PROPHECY.
WITH
HIS DEATH CAME LOUD CHEERS FROM THE CROWDS WHO GATHERED NEAR THE EXECUTION
SITE. HIS MOTHER TURNED AND WALKED AWAY TO AWAIT HER SON'S AWAKENING FROM THE
DEAD.
THE
12TH MAN WHO CHOSE TO BETRAY THE TRUTH EVENTUALLY ACKNOWLEDGE HIS
ERROR. HE SOUGHT FORGIVENESS AND OFFERED TO GO FORWARD AND SPEAK TO OTHERS OF
THE MAN'S INNOCENCE.
SHORTLY
AFTER THE INNOCENT MAN'S EXECUTION HIS PROPHECY WAS FULFILLED. HIS VOICE FROM
BEYOND SPOKE LOUDLY TO THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS EXECUTION.
Also during the final-cut review process, something
came to my attention in the film which caused the hair in the back of my neck
to stand at attention. During the opening scenes as Garrett finishes his last
words and the face of his final enemy disappears in the sky, an unidentified
yet clearly visible face forms in the clouds. This is not a character
generated affect. The face appears to be that of a man. I freaked out!
Replay after replay I tried to identify or at least explain it. The face initially
appeared "evil" but at other times simply smiling. To this day I'm not sure
who it is. God? The devil? Garrett? A victim of the curse? A cloud with no
meaning? Another coincidence? My imagination? You decide!
Johnny
Frank Garrett was born on Christmas Eve 1963. He was executed on February 12,
1992 at 6:00 p.m. He was 29 years old.
Jesse
Quackenbush
Director/Producer
