The story is set in Utah of the 1870's with the Mormon theology as it's backdrop. It's has as accurate fact that Brigham Young (played excellently by Charleton Heston) was president and prophet of the Church, Porter Rockwell (also played well by James Coburn) was a roguish gunfighter/protector of the faith, that the culture was relatively closed, paranoia existed (for good reason, the Mormon Church up to that time was severely persecuted, including it's first president murdered), and Utah is a pretty place. The fiction in the movie is the Tom Berrenger character, the conspiracy against Brigham Young by church leaders and a few other notable historic errors throughout.
That said, the movie is well done and interesting. The Tom Berrenger character is complex, trying to justify his gunfighting actions with his beliefs. He is a man driven by his faith and it's refreshing to see a strong Western character with that motivation (instead of the more typical genre motivation of revenge) and Berrenger plays it well.
The other parts of the movie plot are fairly standard: gunfights, horseplay, ropin', good guy overcoming the odds and numerous hired guns, etc. Yet I found the setting to be interesting and the movie to be enjoyable.
If not taken on it's historical merits, then it's a film to be recommended.
