La trace

This underrated movie is quite confidential and was even not easy to spot as a DVD until recently. I could order for some copies back in 2009/2010 in Bourg St Maurice, at the photo shop located Grande Rue.

If you ever plan to visit French / Swiss / Italian Alps, you MUST see this movie before.

It will allow you to understand what was the life in the mountains just a mere 150 years before.

With a few variants, lives of Switzerland, Savoie and Italy people were similar. Savoie was an independent duchy, finally linked to GFrance lately in 1860 after a questionable (and still juridically disputable) polling process. However, the duchy was in dire condition and had little choice but joining a more powerful neighbor after centuries of alternate fights and wedding alliances up to the utmost European level.

Before you enjoy either sharing the basic, frugal roots of local lifestyle visiting the last farms of the Alps (enjoying their excellent food products, not only the most known), or indulge yourself in the utmost luxury that matches or exceeds the best to be found anywhere else, learn from "La Trace" how it was just in 1860... Not so far back. A world apart.

Quite a fine movie. Saw it a long time ago. The story is simple but efficient, moving without being melodramatic. The acting is very convincing : one forgets the actors altogether, they do become the characters. The setting in the Alps makes breathtaking shots. Strangely enough, my 5 year old daughter was fascinated. I had recorded it on VHS, and for months it was her favorite movie. Unfortunately, the tape was lost.

I must also mention the music score which was one of the best I've heard.

Pity it's not available on DVD !!!

I saw this movie when it was first released and absolutely loved it. No French director had ever made a movie like that until that point. It is a slow movie but a beautiful one and the slow pace is entirely appropriate. This movie is close in style and spirit to "The Tree of Wooden Clogs" of Ermanno Olmi who was more successful. Quite why "La Trace" was not a success always baffled me as this movies as everything: Great plot, good acting, good direction, fantastic sceneries and superb Music. For years after its release I tried to buy it on VHS... sadly it was never released. After a wait of 25 years I finally managed to find it on DVD as a tiny company called Little Bear sell it in France. You'll not find it in any shop but only by googling for Little Bear over the internet. To watch it again after 25 years was a pleasure as this movie is as beautiful and powerful as ever. Much much better that so many French movies who became best-sellers like Amelie and are just unwatchable a few years later as they have aged so quickly. Time will tell but in my view this movie will be considered a classic one day as it deserves it.