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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Tushingham and Reed are mesmerizing together,
By
This review is from: The Trap (VHS Tape)
Oliver Reed and Rita Tushingham turn in topnotch performances in this unforgettable story of adventure and romance in 1849 British Columbia. Reed plays a rugged, brutish fur trapper who purchases a wife to provide companionship and children. Tushingham plays Eve, the unfortunate mute orphan girl sold to the trapper by her conniving foster mother.
The inside joke of the film is that Rita Tushingham, who had made six films prior to this one, is famous for her ability to speak volumes just with her facial expressions and her large woebegone eyes. Therefore the film has her playing the part of a woman who cannot speak, and can *only* convey her thoughts through her eyes and expressions (perhaps she should have brought pencil & paper). Eve initially rebels against her predicament, and makes it quite clear that having his babies is out of the question. But fighting together against Indians, wild animals, injuries, and brutal weather draws them closer, as they are forced to depend upon each other for their very survival. Only the two lead actors are on screen for most of the movie, and it makes for a mesmerizing two-person character study. Watch the evolution of their characters as fear and hostility are gradually replaced by respect and acceptance. Reed's character slowly comes to accept Eve as a person, and she slowly begins to care for him as it becomes clear that he is a rough man, but not an evil man. Eve's growth from terrified girl to confident woman, able to make her own life choices, is the central theme of the movie. Tushingham works hard to convey Eve's every thought and emotion through her hyper-expressive eyes & face, and there is never a moment in which the viewer doesn't know exactly what Eve is thinking or feeling. Reed fills the screen with his unique brand of charismatic bluster. David Osborn's script won several awards, and the rugged wilderness locations are well-captured by cinematographer Robert Krasker. An authentic settlement was constructed for the film near Bowen Island, just north of Vancouver, British Columbia. Lakeside scenes were filmed at Birkenhead Lake, near Pemberton, British Columbia. Rita Tushingham was bitten by the squirrel that she had to feed in one scene, and was forced to endure interminable hospital paperwork before she could get her tetanus shot. Oliver Reed required 70 stitches after a scene involving an encounter with wild animals, and nearly drowned while filming the white-water rapids scene. Tushingham's husband accompanied her to Canada for filming, and was incapacitated for a couple of days after Oliver Reed spiked his drink -- just Ollie's way of having some fun! The musical score by Ron Goodwin (633 Squadron) is at times vigorous and exciting, at other times wistful and plaintive, always a perfect accompaniment to the film's visual component. (His Main Theme was later adopted as the theme used by the BBC in their coverage of the London Marathon.) A sadly neglected movie gem. Highly recommended. View some photos from the film on my Rita Tushingham fansite http://members.cox.net/rjd0309/tush/
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Compelling, Tender Love Story,
By Dumb Ox (Manassas, VA United States) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Trap (VHS Tape)
Lush Canadian scenery spreads as far as the eye can see, and yet this obscure little film manages to convey claustrophobia on the part of a timid mute woman compelled to wed a brutish fur trapper named Jean La Bete, whose last name literally translates into "the Beast". This movie boasts a good script, gorgeous cinematography, fine direction and wonderful acting from its leads, Rita Tushingham as Eve and Oliver Reed as Jean.
Traumatized by an incident involving Indians, possibly rape judging from her terrified reaction to Jean's advances, Eve lives far away from civilization with her new husband, who is a stranger to her. They are strangers to one another. Jean has a fixed idea of what women are good for(having babies), but is forced to reassess his view of Eve when she adamantly refuses to let him touch her. In the wilderness, this silent young woman works a minor miracle: She brings civilization to the forest and tames the beastlike man to whom she is married. As they face dangers and work together, their relationship alters from bully and victim to equals. Eve grows to care for this rough man as Jean struggles to bring forth his underdeveloped tender side. He in turn learns to respect her and treat her as a human being instead of property. Their eventual consummation is tender and yet seems to traumatize her all over again. She flees, believing him to somehow be her enemy, and he cries out in anguish, unable to follow her, that he was not the one who hurt her in the past. Both are heartbroken at their parting. In the end, when the same well-meaning relatives who sold her to Jean try to find her another husband, Eve makes up her mind as to where she belongs. She has grown from her relationship with the trapper to a confident woman who's willing to face hardships to be truly happy. The cast did a terrific job with the material. Oliver Reed was masculine as the virile Jean, who curbs his ardor and tries to woo his bride instead of forcing her to accept him. Rita Tushingham conveys an incredible range of emotions without uttering a word. The two actors played off each other very well and had a strong onscreen chemistry. We enjoyed this movie very much, and recommend it to fans of Oliver Reed, Miss Tushingham, or tender yet powerful love stories.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I can't get this movie out of my head...,
By Jazzlvr66 (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Trap (VHS Tape)
I've recently seen this movie for the very first time, even though it was made in 1966 (the year I was born!) Beautiful love story, gorgeous setting & scenery, incredible acting...who says you need computer generated special effects to create a great movie!! The plot is simple: Set in the mid 1800's, a meek and MUTE orphaned woman, named Eve, is reluctantly "sold" to a lonely, rugged fur trapper (named Jean La Bete) looking for a wife. We watch how their relationship evolves as they struggle to survive in the isolated wilderness. The most touching part of this movie was how Eve(played by the actress, Rita Tushingham), was able to transform her 'new husband'-- a drunken, brutish, bully of a man-- into a softer, kinder, more respectful partner...without ever saying ONE SINGLE WORD to him, EVER. How La Bete helps Eve to become a confident, strong woman able to survive in the forest, despite the childhood tragedy that left her mute and so very timid, is also wonderful. Oliver Reed is gorgeous in this movie, incredibly masculine...and Rita Tushingham is beautiful in the simplest and purest of ways. The love that develops between them is of the truest kind, and the ending is both sweet and satisfying. I also loved the music! Lots of suspense too! I will never ever forget this movie. I just wish there had been a book to go along with it!! Or a sequel!!
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