The Trail

A beautiful movie about faith and survival. What might seem like inaccuracies to some, were irrelevant? It's silly to point them out. The movie teaches a lesson. It would be a shame if you missed the point. The acting was first first rate.

After a tragedy, a young woman (Jasmin Jandreau) is left alone in the remote woods during the mid-1800's California Gold Rush. Can she survive and make it to civilization?

"The Trail" (2013), aka "Let God," is obviously a low-budget Western in light of the miniscule cast and limited setting & events, plus a couple of obvious anachronisms, like zippers on a pair of boots, which weren't even invented until 1893, not to mention goofs (a visible crew member and boom mic, both of which you have to actually look for to notice). Despite these shortcomings, this is a professionally made film with quality locations, an effective score and a decent lead actress. It successfully brings you to that time & place and lets you see what it was like for many settlers.

If you like settler/survival-oriented Westerns like "Meek's Cutoff" (2010), "Gold" (2013), "The Homesman" (2014) and "The Revenant" (2015), you'll likely appreciate "The Trail," although it's not as polished or eventful as the latter, which was a blockbuster. Unlike all of those modern Westerns, however, it shoots for something deeper, something spiritually profound, although it's utterly subdued until the very end. It's this particular aspect that makes the movie for me.

The film runs 1 hour, 31 minutes, and was shot in the Lake Tahoe area, California, with some stuff done in Southern Cal (Temecula & Landers).

GRADE: B-

I've read all the reviews pointing to the obvious problems with zippers, sweating, costumes, etc.... and I noticed that too but I think it is short-sighted not to point out the things that worked in this movie. This was the director's first film on a very, very small budget and I think he accomplished some very effective scenes. The attack scene was pure genius because it creates terror with no extra expense using a bunch of actors, etc.. The viewer experiences it completely from the woman's point of view. The lead actress is excellent and well directed! I also thought the camera movement around the woman in the woods was excellent and created genuine suspense. Making films is extremely difficult and to just pick away at all the details of sweating, zippers and undergarments, and the fact she never wears a coat is all legit but stops short of the redeeming qualities of this film. In the Coen brothers' re-make of "True Grit" the girl is completely dry after riding her horse across a river! And that's the very well-financed, acclaimed Coen brothers! This film maker has genuine potential and should be encouraged to make more films.

I enjoyed this movie so much! Good, clean and wholesome story. A diamond in the rough, in my opinion

Being lost in the woods is no fun. Being lost in the woods in the winter with just the clothes on your back is pure torture.

Today, we're surrounded by survival experts and survivor-themed shows just about every night of the week and none of them truly capture what it would be like to be alone in the woods with no discernible hope for rescue.

"The Trail" is the story of a seriously dire circumstance where the odds of survival for one woman are worse than the Raiders winning the Super Bowl this season. It is somewhat organic as a low-budget film but makes up for it with high-quality acting from its lone star.

It's a rare thing in Hollywood to have a movie where you essentially have one actor or actress carry the entire feature. You'll notice right away that nary a word is spoken in "The Trail" in the first 20 minutes and that's where it grabs your attention.

Jasmin Jandreau does an outstanding job as Amelia, a widow who has just lost her husband as they travel the always brutal Oregon Trail.

"The Trail" is an interesting look at a terrible individual struggle and an excellent showcase for Jandreau, who clearly has a bright future.