The Trap (1966)

Just what I expected

Expected more

A Major Disappointment

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

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.

I have watched this movie at least twice, first with my wife to be in the late 1960's and then again on VHS tape in the mid 1980's. I have never forgotten it and if I could buy a DVD or download a copy I would and to hell with the expense. This movie is a 10 in my book. A true classic. Rita Tushingham plays the dumb (can't speak) female lead with a believability and empathy that has you wanting to take her into your arms to protect and nurture her. Oliver Reed plays the macho trapper lead to a T. He is the consummate man's man but underneath he cares deeply about this waif that he has bought as a wife. This movie is a landmark in my life.

This movie should have its place among the great classics, and its no exaggeration... Somehow it's been underrated, unfortunately. I saw this movie some 10 years ago, and I never forgot it... Ten years later, I watched it again, thinking that I react differently to it, but no... I loved it even more, now that I'm old enough to appreciate the actors' interpretations, which are just perfect in this movie... Rita Tushingham is wonderful in her role, without having to say a single word through the whole movie; she thrills you just by her presence and a perfect use of her facial expressions... It just shows how to be a great actress is not in a perfect face and a perfect figure...It takes much more to charm... And then you have Oliver Reed's performance which just adds to the perfect timing of this movie... His performance is one that you cannot forget, just like Rita's ; a great love story filled with adventure, where just the right things are said, and just the right things are shown. I couldn't say enough about this movie... I think it's one of those special cinematic moments... It's done so simply, and yet you know that it takes a lot of great talent to make it look so simple. A last comment (haha) : WHEN WILL IT BE ON DVD????!!!!!!! it deserves to be on DVD !

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.