THE TRAP

UK, 1966, 105 minutes, Colour.
Oliver Reed, Rita Tushingham.
Directed by Sidney Hayes.

The Trap is a surprisingly enjoyable film, set and filmed in the beautiful, but rugged frontier parts of Canada. The film has good action sequences, especially the pursuit of Oliver Reed by wolves, which is quite frightening. It also has its
moving moments helped by the performance of Rita Tushingham who is convincing as a mute servant.

1. Did the title have any more than a literal significance?

2. How effectively did the film come across as a story of Canadian frontier life? How important was the scenery and its rugged beauty (e.g. during the credits?)

3. How did the quick initial presentation of the outpost create mood and atmosphere for the meaning of the story ? isolation, the boat, mail, the 'elite' and wealthy family and the 'riffraff'; the fur trading and traders?

4. What impact did the sequence of the bartered brides make? Why? How important was this sequence for what was to follow with Eve?

5. How typical an isolated trapper was Jean le Bete? what kind of man was he? What kind of man could he be in this environment?

6. What kind of girl was Eve, the background of the Indian massacre, her place as a servant? How badly was she used by the family in being bartered for money ?(for what),?

7. How did she adapt to the isolated trapper's life? Could she have done any better? How effectively portrayed was the interaction between Jean and Eve? e.g. scraps in the pot, the house order etc.?

8. How sympathetically was Jean's trapping way of life shown, foxes, the cougar etc.?

9. Comment on the sequence of Jean's being trapped and his pursuit by the wolves. How was this effective cinema? Why? How did it unite Jean and Eve? The effect of the two days in the snow for Eve searching for the doctor?

10. How did Eve respond to Jean's needs, to Jean as a person? The effect of axing his leg? Did she have any alternative? Was this sequence too brutal?

11. Why did Eve fear Jean as a man? Did she fear his love or his sexuality? Why? How did her loving devotion change Jean? His "please" for her to stay? Why did she go?

12. What was the point of Indians rescuing and saving Eve?


13. How important to Eve's behaviour was the fact that she was pregnant? Why did she prepare to marry?

14. Why did she really go back? What had grown between the two? Was it genuine love? How important for each of them was this in their way of life?

15. How skilful was Rita Tushingham's performance as a mute?