User Reviews

THE TRAP is a nicely entertaining British/Canadian wilderness adventure film, directed by the consistently interesting director Sidney Hayers who previously made the likes of CIRCUS OF HORRORS and NIGHT OF THE EAGLE. This one's a virtual two-hander about a swaggering character played by a typically larger-than-life Oliver Reed, who lives in a hut out in the snowy Canadian wilderness, who decides to get a wife in the shape of the mute Rita Tushingham.

What follows is a wordless romance of sorts (at least on Tushingham's part), dealing with the usual survival staples including animal attacks, unfriendly locations, illness, and inclement weather conditions. The film is well shot in Canada, which makes it look and feel very authentic, and Reed is a delight as the tough-guy lead. Best of all is the excellent stirring theme music, which to my mind beats Wagner at his own game.

Trapper Oliver Reed -- whose accent seems French Canadian, but whose character claims to hail from San Francisco -- shows up in town with furs, gets drunk, and buys mute serving girl Rita Tushingham to take to his cabin by Birkinhead Lake.

The ornamentation of the story is excellent, with a great score by Ron Goodwin ad some fine scenic shots of British Columbia, but with just two actors to hold down the great majority of the film, they need to do a lot to fill in the time, and Miss Tushigham's performance wanders between sullen and terrified, and Reed's performance doesn't vary much from drunken masculinity. He's very good at performing that, of course, but 105 minutes of screen time needs more, even though Mis Tushingham does gt to chop one of his legs off.

In terms of acting between the 2 leads. the acting is perfect. The very reason why I sought this film out was to see Oliver Reed and his trademark intensity and Rita Tushingham is also at her top form. That being said, the blame I place of the poor aspects of this movie falls largely on the director. In terms of acting, Oliver reed is SO boisterous, and SO rowdy (breaking into peoples houses, shooting rifles off in Inn's) that frankly it seems that any place of commerce would have him locked up. And the character of the woman cannot speak; for some reason.... she can HEAR... which is made obvious to us in Oliver Reed's one sided dialogue. But for some reason cannot seem to speak, the reason for which is never explained. However, her lack of speech does pose a very interesting aspect in that she appears like the many animals Reed's character relies on for subsistence as simply THAT..... an animal. And indeed that is why Reed's character bought her as a slave, and therefore knowing WHY she cannot speak would be interesting....

The acting is the only meagre highlight in this film as well as the interaction between Reed and Tushingham, and even that is very 1 dimensional. (He is Rowdy and uncivilized, she is civilized. He pressures her for sex. She abstains.) In ITSELF, the plot concept doesn't really pose a very interesting story. Solution?? add various irrational plot sequences to heighten the boredom RATHER than develop an intelligent and meaningful developmental relationship between these 2 main characters who now rely upon each other. First moronic plot sequence: 2 WHITE natives from the village SOMEHOW track down Reed's cabin for no other reason that to kidnap the girl. They have no guns. He has a gun. BUT.. they HAPPEN to show up when she is alone after basically being abandoned by Reed in the woods. Guess who gets shot... Totally nonsensical and badly handled. Second moronic plot sequence. The wolf scene. This scene literally makes the movie a laughable excuse for what it is indeed trying to be. (a movie about wilderness survival) Reed is in the woods. An experienced woodsman he SOMEHOW forgets where he set his traps... and BAM... he falls prey to them... suddenly.. he is set on by a cougar... THEN he is set upon by a pack of wolves. It's not fully possible to emphasize how badly this scene is handled, but 1. Wolves are not that aggressive. 2. if they attack, they do not attack 1 at a time in the course of 15 minutes without end. and 3. If you fire multiple rifle shots... they will RUN.... not stay to get shot. It is also quite humorous to witness how Reed at first cannot place the slightest weight on his leg and then is kicking off wolves left and right and running completely able bodied. once again this scene sells the movie short in my view. In the end, Reed must have his leg chopped off due to infection, which is also ridiculous because all they would have had to do was cauterize the wound and one would assume an experienced woodsman would RATHER do that than lose his leg. But wait there's more.... Third moronic plot sequence: This one has a lot to do with social etiquette of the 60's which definitely does not cohere to backwoods social etiquette of the 1800's. The entire movie, Reed has been held off from having sex with the female lead (possibly a 3 to 6 month period); a surprising feat in itself since theoretically that would have been the only reason why he bought her as a slave in the first place. Anyhow, regardless that these 2 characters have warmed to each other and have become dependant upon each other, she is DEATHLY opposed to sex with him for some reason, and after he finally forced himself upon her, rather than being fulfilled in her love of him, the next day she flees. This is a ridiculous plot point that should not have happened and very near the end of the film. she steals his boat; Falls asleep; gets swallowed up by the rapids and then floats ashore only to be rescued by friendly natives. What would we do without friendly natives... Before she is healed. Before she can talk. Before ANYTHING, they instantaneously bring her back to the Caucasian village. This is ridiculous. Naturally they would try to heal her first before moving her and THEN ask her where she wanted to go if they were so obliging... But no.. This was simply a little trick on the part of the director to make us think she was dead.... but She's ALIVE.... and after instantly being put into a marriage at the Caucasian village, she runs away back to Oliver Reed.

This movie had an overall flawed and nonsensical storyline which was distracting form what this movie COULD have been; a very interesting psychological study of a man and woman in the wild left to depend upon each other. But instead it falls out to cheap misused plot devices. Naturally you will ask why does this movie have such a high rating and why do I disagree. Because the acting is so fine I would say that it is the CONCEPT that appeals to people and they were willing to overlook the overall ridiculousness of the plot. The cinematography is also quite great for anyone interested in the wilderness. As to my knowledge there truly isn't any OTHER film of a man and a woman living in the wild that has quite the same angle as this film (he buys her as a slave). Please view the film and think well upon my arguments against it. it was a good concept taken on by people who knew not how to properly execute it, and who sold out to typical mediocre Hollywood thrills and gimmicks that were badly conceived.

Almost shockingly, many of the reviewers here have voiced stories almost eerily similar to my own. I happened upon this movie one late night approx. 38 years ago, and simply NEVER forgot it. Around 10 years ago or so, I searched for and found a VHS tape of it, and a couple of years ago, I got a DVD of it online. This is, simply, one of my very most favorite movies ever. I wanted to note that, as of this morning at any rate, the ENTIRE film is available for streaming on you tube.

I don't wish to repeat the same specific comments voiced by others, but would like to focus on one particular aspect of the film; its patient and tender depiction of the "falling in love" process itself. The lazy and impatient manner through which most modern films depict how people fall in love strains credibility, and poses a real challenge to the viewer's ability to care about the supposedly deeply intense love relationship between the characters. How often do we see two characters "lock eyes" for a few extra moments upon meeting, and voilà, they are committed to a passionate and lifelong love relationship; ready to die for each other? All too often is my answer. In this film, you believe it. Their need for each other, though for perhaps somewhat different reasons, is palpable and honest. Today, "love stories" focus so much more on how characters REMAIN in love, or how they overcome hurdles to their love, and hardly bother to take on the challenge of making the audience believe that they ever fell in love in the first place, which is, for me, far more interesting (and apparently, far more difficult to depict believably).

I think of the modern films noted for their love story narratives, like "The Fault in Our Stars". Of course the two protagonists fell in love. They're both impossibly attractive, they share this common enemy (cancer), and they're both incredibly clever and lovable. Even though their love was not expressed mutually until near the end, really they were in love (again) almost from the first moment they laid eyes on each other. Far more interesting would have been a story where she and the kid who eventually lost his eyesight fell in love, and the events leading up to that. But, again, that would have been likewise far more challenging to the author / screenwriter.

But, no such problem with this film. They took on this difficult challenge and succeeded in an extremely satisfying way.

I found this movie online and only watched because I love Oliver Reed. I'm sorry I watched it because I spent almost an hour and a half watching Reed terrorize everyone around him! He yelled, yanked, pushed and frightened that poor girl so much I got mad! However, I was very glad when she'd pull a knife or wielded other means that made him back up! Also, there was no chemistry between them. He was still handsome with his beard, but she was made to look too plain. Them trying to survive in the wilderness is what actually kept me watching because there were so many hardships and I was curious how things would turn out. It's not one I would recommend. It's just not good enough. The ending totally sucked! My mouth fell open and I think I said, "I don't believe it!" out loud! I don't know why they listed her as his wife when they never married! The clerk's wife sells her to Reed's character and he drags her off to his far away cabin! Didn't they frown upon shacking up back then?

This will probably somewhat remind you of the documentary "The Last Trapper", filmed in the Yukon wilderness, and of some of the presently popular TV 'last frontier' documentaries as well as a few Hollywood productions. However, this is a fictional romantic and adventure story, played out in 19th century coastal BC and the wild hinterlands of BC.

So, what is the trap? I think it has several applications as relates to this story. The main male character is heavy set French trapper Jean, La Bete(Oliver Reed), who works the BC wilderness and, once in a long while, comes to the coastal town to sell his pelts. Incidentally, La Bete translates as 'the animal or beast': presumably a label bestowed by the townies, but one that he relishes to live up to when in town. After getting to know him later in the wilderness, he doesn't seem all that bad a fellow.

We have a mute, though not deaf, young woman(Eve), as the main female character, played by Rita Tushingham. La Bete initially refers to her as 'the rabbit' because she doesn't say anything and tries to stay in the background. La Bete, having been unsuccessful at purchasing one of the ex-con women brought on the steamer, reluctantly agrees to buy this plain-looking mute from her foster mother, desperate for cash, who pitches her muteness as a possible plus, on the whole. Eve is initially frightened of this sudden development, and tries to run away. But, she's essentially trapped as his slave, technically. However, she makes it very plain that that she will not be his sexual slave. It's quite possible that she is frigid, in general, because of her traumatic experience with the murder of her natal family by Indians, which left her 'speechless', or maybe some other reason.

Then, there is the episode where the trapper is caught in his bear trap, having been disturbed by a snarling cougar while checking his trap(very unlikely). After a miraculous journey back to his cabin, including fending off wolves, after a few days it's plain that gangrene is setting in. He orders Eve to amputate his foot. Of course, she is fearful of this novel responsibility, accomplished with one mighty stroke of his ax!

After recovering from this trauma, the two apparently finally make love(since she later has a miscarriage) for the first time, which clearly appears to be somewhat voluntary on her part. However, the next morning, she inexplicably abandons La Bete, who is hobbling around on a make shift crutch, casting off in their canoe, toward town. Apparently, she didn't want a repeat of her sexual experience, possibly due to the pain and blood of her first such encounter. Battered by ferocious rapids, she is eventually found by Indians, unconscious and near death(from what?) in her canoe. She is taken to her town, where she eventually recovers, and eventually appears to be ready to be the bride of the handsome young clerk she previously liked. But, at the last moment, she casts off in her canoe for La Bete's cabin(past all those ferocious rapids!) Perhaps she was fearful of what would happen when her husband-to-be discovered she was frigid(if she was). Probably, she missed the adventuresome, if primitive, life of a trapper, fearing she would feel trapped in a routine woman's role in town. Probably, most importantly, she now felt more 'at home' as the only woman in her wilderness world, rather than a 'freak' in the town world. And, I'm sure she was concerned about how La Bete was going to survive without his one foot, and feeling guilty that he had paid a steep price for her: a plain-looking, possibly frigid, mute woman, but nonetheless a now reasonably compatible one.

Yes, there are any number of possible meanings to 'the trap' and we have to guess the primary reason or set or reasons for some of Eve's contrary behaviors, which some reviewers see as a failing of the screen play or acting(I don't). I'm more disturbed by some of the very implausible events, which I mentioned. However, such are present in most fictional films. The town scenes were filmed on small Bowen Island, near Vancouver. Some of the outdoors scenes were filmed in several BC provincial parks, while others clearly were done on a sound stage. The indoor scenes were done in Vancouver or London.

Presently viewable at You Tube.