Broken Trail

Set in 1898, the film depicts the lives of two stoic cowboys Print Ritter (Academy Award winner Robert Duvall) and his nephew Tom Harte (Thomas Haden Church, Sideways) who agree to deliver a herd of 500 horses from Oregon to Wyoming. Along the way, they rescue the young women being transported to a brothel to have their virginity auctioned off.

The cinematography is gorgeous as the camera sweeps over the lush landscape (the Canadian Rockies subbing in for wild West of the late 1800s) and Hill does a formidable job of pacing this 3-hour drama with just the right balance of dialogue and action. For Duvall, Broken Trail is the last piece to his Western trilogy, which started with the miniseries Lonesome Dove followed by the feature film Open Range. He is instantly likeable as a father figure and the viewer never doubts that his intention for the girls is honorable. As for Haden Church, he has never been as appealing as he is in this role. Gruff and flawed, he softens when he exchanges shy glances with Sun Foy. The trek is long and hard and the unlikely band of travelers will face much hardship. If not as satisfying as the rich, detailed Lonesome Dove, Broken Trail makes up for it with a wonderful storyline and some fine acting by all involved. As for the conclusion, it may surprise some viewers who are expecting a more traditional version of the happy ending.

Order Broken Trail DVD for $14.99 or download the movie from Amazon for $9.99.

Want to the read the book on which the movie is based, purchase Broken Trail by Alan Geoffrion (Paperback) for $14.95

Broken Trail is also expected to appear soon in Blu-Ray format. This space will be updated as and when that happens