| Brotherhood of Murder | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Crime drama |
| Based on | Brotherhood of Murder by
|
| Teleplay by | Robert J. Avrech |
| Directed by | Martin Bell |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Laura Karpman |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Production location | Vancouver |
| Cinematography | James Bagdonas |
| Editor | Nancy Baker |
| Running time | 90 minutes[1] |
| Production company | Showtime Networks |
| Original release | |
| Network | Showtime |
| Release | December 12, 1999 (1999-12-12) |
Brotherhood of Murder is a 1999 Americancrime dramatelevision film directed byMartin Bell and written byRobert J. Avrech, based on the 1988 autobiography by Tom Martinez and John Guinther. The film starsWilliam Baldwin,Peter Gallagher, andKelly Lynch, and tells the true story of the white supremacist groupThe Order, its founderRobert Jay Mathews, and the largest cash robbery in US history.[2][3] It centers around group member-turned-FBI-informant Martinez and his involvement in the group. It aired onShowtime on December 12, 1999.
Following his military discharge, Tom Martinez returns home to Philadelphia and learns his wife Susan 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 in a bar, West invites Tom to a meeting of The Order. There, he is introduced to Bob Mathews, 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.
The film is based on the self-published bookBrotherhood of Murder by Tom Martinez and John Guinther about Martinez's recruitment into The Order, and subsequent involvement in the group.[4][5][6] Filming took place inVancouver.[1]
Writing forVariety, Laura Fries described Baldwin's portrayal of Tom Martinez "sympathetic instead of believable", Lynch's performance as "listless", Laura Karpman's music as "uneven", and Nancy Baker's editing as "entirely random".[1]