The Trap

I fell in love with Oliver Reed when I was a mere a slip of a girl. That's what this movie is -- a teenage fantasy. Performances are great for the era and the script. Surprisingly NOT overdone, though it's a melodrama to beat all melodramas. Pretty neat that most of the action is centered around only two people - scenes with others in them are only at the beginning and end - and the two carry it off quite well - the action holds. Rita Tushingham did a fine job without ever saying a word. That's acting. Tough to write "dialogue" for Reed to get the story out - and his own back story - when the person he's talking to never speaks to move the narrative along. The scriptwriters handled it pretty well during the time they spend alone in the wild. Oliver Reed, hairy and covered in skins, was as masculine a hunk of man needing domestication as any young girl could ask for. Too bad he made lots of bad movie choices (perhaps because that's what he was offered -- being a difficult actor), because he was delightfully bad-boy gorgeous and had incredible chemistry on camera. (Sighhhh)

Like many other reviewers I remember this film from the late 60's on late night tv. It was the era of kung fu films and blaxploitation movies which we all watched avidly. Films like 'the Trap' held no interest for us but it held our attention and fascination in an absorbing way. The slowly changing relationship between the trapper and his mute wife/slave transfixed us in its humanity and fragility. The story centres around these two mismatched ndividuals, both handicapped in their own way as they struggle to make a life together in the canadian wilderness. From initial brutality to tolerance to interdependence and finally the eventual outcome at the end. Both Reed and Tushingham give strong performances here, especially Oliver. When he wasnt getting soaked he could turn out some amazing work.Sadly he is no longer with us and is no doubt propping up another bar somewhere in shakespeares heaven.He will be missed. I hope they repeat this on tv or release it on video again soon.It is a truly outstanding work.

I remembered this film from my youth - I only saw it once in the cinema, and when A & E carried it on their movie line-up a couple of years ago it brought back all those feelings that I had for this particular film. What a story. I love the characters, especially Oliver Reed - who really fills almost every frame with his menacing presence. It was refreshing to watch a film that was made before encroaching "political correctness", and it dealt with some terrific social and personal issues all with the glorious backdrop of British Columbian wilderness.

--- mild spoilers ---

this British adventure film tells a heart-wrenching love story by combining a classic erotic fantasy with a realistic depiction of the hard life in the 19th century Canadian wilderness. The show-piece of the film is the wolf attack. It is brilliantly filmed, with the camera moving on and on through the dark snow-covered wood, while the starving beasts relentlessly try to snap at the wounded trapper. Actually, these are no wolfs but German shepherds, but the whole thing was so damn frightening that I completely forgot that this film is forty years old. Oliver Reed and Rita Tushingham are two great actors and make a wonderful couple in this film. I loved the last line delivered by Reed to Tushingham.

Only one thing I have to criticize: the two roguish native Americans are played by western actors with wigs. Looks very cheap by modern standards.

"The Trap" seems to be a lost classic. I had never heard or read of it until it aired on German television last week under the title "Wie ein Schrei I'm Wind". Then I found out that both of my parents had seen it decades ago and were so impressed by it that they never forgot it.

Having been lucky enough to find this movie in a box of thrown away tapes (actually among about 30 thrown out at a dump sight I work at, and they are in excellent condition!!!) I have just watched it (twice) over the weekend. I am like most people who have reported on "The Trap", I loved it and remembered it from probably 35 years ago, and always wanted to see it again. I was so glad to be able to watch it again and will definitely keep the movie.

The thing that no one else has mentioned but I think I saw in the movie was how much Jean cared for his mother as he mentioned her several times, often sang the song that she taught him and even from the start respected Eve as a woman. Here was a lonely Quebecois trapper, with no social skills, who had not been with a woman in years, paid $1000 (I would imagine like $500,000 today) for what he expected a wife would give him. He was much bigger that Eve in height and weight and could have easily over-powered her, even when she held a hatchet or knife ... but he still respected her fears.

I wish this movie could have continued for another half an hour so we could have seen what being together as a couple could have brought them. As far as visual effects, etc. for a film made in 1966 I think it was done exceptionally well. Someone mentioned that the "bad natives" were portrayed by white actors and the good by real native people ... I am sure a sign of the times. I am sure I saw a cameo of Chief Dan George at the start ... I must look into this.

This is the first review of a movie I have ever made ... hope it was okay.