
“For Robbing the Dead” is a narrative centered on empathy, particularly towards those who might appear least worthy of kindness. The film is set in 1862 Salt Lake City and follows Henry Heath, a law officer who is tasked with overseeing a prisoner he detests—a destitute French immigrant named Jean Baptiste, who has been found guilty of grave robbing. Baptiste is banished to Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake, where he is shunned by society. With no one else willing to care for him, Henry Heath becomes Baptiste’s only protector against the island’s harsh solitude and the disdain of the community. Through his initially reluctant guardianship, Heath experiences a change of heart, finding solace for his own troubles.