# In the Line of Duty: Manhunt in the Dakotas (1991) (TV)

### reviewed by
Dragan Antulov

    IN THE LINE OF DUTY: THE TWILIGHT MURDERS
    A Film Review
    Copyright Dragan Antulov 1999

IN THE LINE OF DUTY is the critically praised series of television movies dealing with the real-life incidents that claimed lives of law enforcement officers in USA. THE TWILIGHT MURDERS, another one from the series, is dealing with the case of Gordon Kahl (played by Rod Steiger), old farmer from North Dakota who would rather spend a year in prison than pay taxes to the despised U.S. government. After being released, he still refuses to pay taxes and the warrant is issued for his arrest. When the U.S. marshals come to arrest him, it turns out that Kahl isn't alone. Many poor farmers in rural Northwest share his extremist anti-government beliefs, and the routine operation turns into shootout that would leave federal officers that. That brings FBI on the scene, and Agent Mayberly (Michael Gross) is supervising the manhunt. However, his efforts seem fruitless, since Kahl still has many supporters, some of them even in the local law enforcement.

After BETRAYED, 1988 thriller by Costa Gavras, Hollywood mostly ignored the disturbing trends of rising right-wing extremism in the American Northwest, and that remained so until Oklahoma City bombing, when media hype brought right-wingers back into spotlight. Until that time, only the television movies like this one bothered to pay attention to that phenomenon. Unfortunately, THE TWILIGHT MURDERS is still routine and formulaic television film, that uses sensationalist real life content in order to cover lack of originality in the script. Sometimes, like many American TV movies, it creates drama where drama shouldn't be. On the other hand, film is steadily directed by Dick Lowry, and Rod Steiger does good job potraying Gordon Kahl. On the other hand, Michael Gross as his pursuer is quite wooden and his interaction with some of the actors is terrible. However, film does deal with potentially thought-provoking social and political issues, so hour and half spent in front of the screen shouldn't be the total waste of time.

    RATING: 4/10 (+)

    Review written on May 17th 1999

    --
    Dragan Antulov a.k.a. Drax
    Fido: 2:381/100
    E-mail: dragan.antulov@st.tel.hr
    E-mail: dragan.antulov@altbbs.fido.hr
    E-mail: drax@purger.com

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