Broken Trail

Just finished watching part two. Great story. I can not wait to read the book. Both Duvall and Church brought so much to their characters and the story. I really hope that the "great west " was settled by men like these. Men who were not afraid to do the right thing. Men who showed courage, morals, kindness, and stood up to those who would bring harm and injustice to the innocent. . The kind of men that I would consider it an honor to "ride" with. I could not help sharing in the pain and confusion that the girls felt. I feel ashamed as a man to know that we treated innocent women that way and still do. I am glad the story ended as it did. Duvall's character showed that he could be tough as nails but still have a heart when it came to the girls. Church's character showed true grit and also had a soft side that he could not hide. Overall it was a truly great story brought to life by two men who did an excellent job portraying their characters.

I gave this 10 stars.

Both parts of this 2 part mini series deserve 10 stars. It was an extremely well done film.

I got the impression at the end of the film that this was based on real people and their experiences, which I had no idea was the case when I began watching it.

Robert Duval as Print Ritter carries the film, although all of the performers did good jobs.

The storyline was fresh, original and interesting, something I see so seldom these days, it really made it stand out. Another thing that made this stand out from the usual garbage that passes for entertainment in film these days - was the heroes really were heroes. These men were brave and did the right thing. They had values and ethics.

The story revolves around Print Ritter (Robert Duval) and his nephew Will, I think was his name, (and sorry but I didn't know who any of the actors were except for Duval)driving a herd of horses north to sell.

They end up with people they didn't count on being along for the trip--4 or 5 young Chinese girls, who do not speak a word of English, a fiddle player, and a couple of other people who join the group later in the story.

The Chinese girls are very young, the oldest might be 18. They have been sold by their parents and sent to America where they will be forced into prostitution.

None of the 4 men who eventually travel with the girls and protect them, try to take advantage of them, and the two romances in the story, are kept low-key.

The bad guys in the film are just that - they're wicked through and through. No explanation or psycho-analysis given or needed. This picture is getting back to the basics of the American western, good vs. evil.

There's gunfire when needed, confrontations when needed, and great characterizations, as our group journeys along and encounters various people and adventures.

And yes, there's even a plot! Another element I've discovering missing all too often in films of late.

I can only hope they someone keeps making Westerns because the few that have been made the last few years have been outstanding. This one, a TV miniseries, is just great. I can't enough good things about it. I saw it recently on DVD. It was a three-hour film. I thought I read somewhere that it was four hours, so I don't know if this version has been down. I only know what I saw, and I liked about everything I saw.

Looking at the IMDb reviews here before making a rental helped me out a lot. It prepared me for a slower film. In other words, I knew what to expect.....and that helped. I didn't expect a rough film with a ton of violence and nasty characters, language, etc.

What surprised me was just how interesting a film this was for being three hours long and not having a lot of action. I attribute this to the dialog, the acting, characters you care about and the wonderful cinematography. It's hard to beat the scenery in a nicely-filmed western.

The words coming out of the two stars of the picture, Robert Duvall and Thomas Haden Church were extremely believable material. These guys were tough, but not abrasively- macho, compassionate but not sappy. As "Prentice Ritter" and "Tom Harte," respectively, they fascinating to watch. I liked what they said throughout the movie and they were extremely believable characters. They looked and talked the part.

This story is different because it's mainly about helping five young Chinese women, who are destined for prostitution, slavery and who knows what else. Ritter and Harte didn't volunteer for the job; it accidentally came upon them as they were escorting horses North for a nice payday. The two men showed wonderful compassion for these girls, despite the fact they slowed their mission down and had a problem with communication.

There has to be some villains in a western and we have them here with "Big Rump Kate" and others but they are not overblown and we don't see so much of them they they get annoying. For a Walter Hill film, this was astonishing in how low-key it was told.

We also get a bit of a romance, just a glimpse between Duvall's character and one played by Greta Scacchi ("Nola Johns"). It has a different kind of ending to it, one I didn't expect and one that will emotionally affect you.

It simple terms: this is a nice movie, a good story about good guys doing a good deed for the right reasons. Watching them do it, under adverse conditions, was almost a privilege. A big thank you to all involved with this movie and giving us fans of this genre hope that it isn't completely dead.

A good Western is a treat, like comfort food for the soul. Robert Duvall is a favorite of mine, and he is wonderful in this movie, as always, but the surprise factor here is Thomas Haden Church, who I remember as a Mechanic in the sitcom, Wings. Watching him playing a 19th century cowboy in this project, well,- he seems made for the part: serious, soft-spoken, and a little too lean from trying to eke out a living in tough times. Wonderful! I hope to see more of him in the future.

The scenery is as beautiful as I expected, and I don't care that it was shot in Canada instead of the U.S. I do wish there had been a little more emphasis on the horses, though. The promos advertised the movie as being about a horse drive, but that was only a premise for the other story lines. They were supposed to be herding 300 to 500 horses, but it sure didn't look like that many to me. But, I guess I'm getting pretty picky there. It was satisfying to watch, regardless of whether there were hundreds of horses, or only about 75, as it looked like to me.

There is one scene in the movie that is almost a reverse "Man from Snowy River"-type scene, where they herd their horses UP a steep hill, and that was interesting. I'm not actually comparing the riding in this movie to the incomparable Charlie Lovick's downhill riding in the most famous scene from Snowy River, but it did bring that movie to mind.

If you like western movies, you'll like this mini series, and it might spark an interest in a part of our American history that is not particularly well known,- the Chinese immigration during the gold rush of the 1800s.

As a Chinese-American, I had no doubt I would schedule my life around the two nights BROKEN TRAIL was airing. Having seen part 2 last night, I am still reeling from the beauty of the backdrop, the vastness and the loneliness--something I remember from the film, A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT, which was also in Wyoming I believe and definitely featured fly fishing but I digress.

Robert Duvall said in an interview on CBS' Sunday Morning that BROKEN TRAIL represented the finale to his western trilogy (Lonesome Dove, Open Range and now Broken Trail) and that's sad but what a body of work he's left us and countless generations to enjoy! I loved the economy of language because that's how I imagine life was among men in those days. The leisurely pace of the film might have pulled the story down but not in this case. I applaud AMC for going forward with this production and the minimal intrusion of commercials. I truly hope this comes out on DVD because I know I will have to have it. I found the casting to be perfect and disagree with the reviewer who lamented the exclusion of Tom Selleck or Keith Carradine among others. The familiarity I felt for Robert Duvall and Thomas Haden Church was enough without being overwhelming--they just seemed to lend honesty and truth to their performances--more known actors weren't needed. I appreciated the fact this wasn't a cast of thousands, although there were suppose to be 500 horses or so...

My final comment to all who enjoyed this mini-series and to those who did not know much of the Chinese who came to the 'Golden Mountain' in the 1800's--please look for Ruthanne Lum McCunn's book, "THOUSAND PIECES OF GOLD" which is based on a true story (I'm still not sure if Broken Trail is, although I believe the writer was somewhat influenced by this book since there are common threads i.e. Chinese girls sold into prostitution and setting roots in far flung states--Idaho in the book and Wyoming in the mini-series). THOUSAND PIECES...has also been made into a film but is not as good as BROKEN TRAIL.

I can't wait for AMC to show repeat airings--for any of you who didn't get a chance--WATCH IT!!!