Broken Trail
Tags: romantic, murder

Plot synopsis:
Part 1
In San Francisco in 1898, countless Chinese girls are sold into slavery and brought to the American West to live as prostitutes among the miners and railway workers. Capt. Billy Fender (James Russo) arrives in San Francisco and purchases five Chinese girls to be sold as prostitutes in Idaho.
In southeastern Oregon, Prentice "Prent" Ritter (Robert Duvall), an aging cowboy, arrives at the Gap Ranch to inform his cowboy nephew, Tom Harte (Thomas Haden Church), that his mother died. Estranged from her son years earlier after he left the family ranch to become a buckaroo, she left behind a brief impersonal note informing her son that she left everything in her will to her brother Prent. Uncomfortable with her unfair decision, and wanting to reconnect with his nephew, Prent tells him about his plan to transport 500 horses from Oregon to Sheridan, Wyoming, where he will sell them to the British Army. He offers Tom 25% of the profits if he joins him in the business venture.
After purchasing 500 horses from various ranches in the region, Prent and Tom head out east with the herd toward the Idaho border. Along the way, Prent sends Tom into a nearby town to purchase supplies. At the local saloon, he purchases three bottles of whiskey. When the bartender attempts to throw out an Irish fiddler named Heck Gilpin (Scott Cooper), Tom intervenes and punches out the bartender. He hires the fiddler to accompany them on their venture.
Back on the trail, they meet Capt. Billy Fender and his five Chinese girls. Fender asks if he can follow along and Prent agrees. That night, Fender offers the cowboys sex with one of the Chinese girls, but they decline. Later, Fender drugs the cowboys' whiskey, and while they sleep, he steals their money and saddled horses and escapes with one of the girls, leaving the other Chinese girls behind. The next morning, the men realize what's happened, and Tom rides off in search of Fender. He finds him in a drunken sleep after he's raped the girl. Tom hangs Fender from a tree and heads back to camp with the girl.
Meanwhile, Prent becomes acquainted with the Chinese girls who are taught to call him "Uncle Prent". Unable to bridge the language gap, Prent assigns numbers to the girls, naming Ghee Moon (Jadyn Wong) #1, Mai Ling (Caroline Chan) #2, Sun Fu (Gwendoline Yeo) #3, Ye Fung (Olivia Cheng) #4, and Ging Wa (Valerie Tian) #5. After Tom returns with #4, the group continues east across Idaho. As the oldest of the girls, #3 explains to the others that these men are good and will protect them. Along the way, Tom teaches #3 how to drive the wagon, and Prent teaches #5 how to ride a horse. One night, #2 develops a tick fever. While Tom watches over her during the night, she dies. The next morning, after they bury her, Prent speaks over the grave: "We're all travelers in this world. From the sweet grass to the packing house, from birth 'til death, we travel between the eternities."
Meanwhile, a hired killer named Ed "Big Ears" Bywaters (Chris Mulkey) rides into the town of Caribou City, Idaho where he meets up with "Big Rump" Kate Becker (Rusty Schwimmer), the woman who runs the city and its illegal activities. Fender was supposed to deliver the five Chinese girls to Kate, who provided him with the money. She offers to pay Ed to bring the girls back to her, but he is more interested in abusing one of Kate's prostitutes, Nola Johns (Greta Scacchi).
Back on the trail, Prent and his outfit meet up with two strangers, one of whom Prent identifies as Smallpox Bob, and proceeds to gun him down. He orders Tom to kill his companion and his horse. Smallpox Bob infected thousands of Indians by selling them smallpox-infected blankets. Afterwards, they burn Bob and his companion and their horses and blankets. As the flames rise, the ghosts of their Indian victims dance over the flames. That night, #3 notices a hole torn in Tom's shirt, and she mends the shirt while he sleeps. A silent attraction has grown between the two.
The next day, Prent orders Tom and Heck to take the girls into the town of Caribou City and find someone who will take care of them. In town, after finding a room for the girls, Tom meets Lung Hay (Donald Fong) who is able to speak with the girls in their native language. Lung Hay explains to Tom that the girls do not want to leave Tom, Prent, and Heck—that they do not feel safe without them. Later at the saloon, Tom and Heck meet "Big Rump" Kate, who offers them one of her whores. After they decline, she demands that they hand over the Chinese girls whom she paid for when she hired Fender.
Back at the girls' room, three men break in and attack the Chinese girls wanting to rape them. Nola Johns hears the nearby screams and rushes in to help them, only to be hit in the face by one of the attackers. Tom and Heck rush in, throw one man out the window and beat up another. They throw the third man to the floor, and Tom shoots both of his thumbs off. Nola begs Tom to take her with them for her protection. As they all prepare to leave town, Kate and her henchmen approach, but Tom draws his weapon and guards his party as they leave. Kate vows to take revenge.
Part 2
Prent and his group recover from their ordeal, as Tom stitches the wound on Lung Hay's head, and Prent treats Nola's broken nose. They decide to spend several days resting the horses by the Snake River. Prent sees two men fly fishing and wishes he could try it someday. At night the men talk about the unfathomable mysteries of women, and they all enjoy listening to Heck's fiddle music. They begin to reveal more about themselves. Lung Hay left his wife in China many years ago to follow the promise of gold in America. Nola turned to prostitution after her husband killed himself. Heck was educated back east, but the prospect of adventure led him out west. Prent and Nola begin spending more time together, but Prent—whose memory of his dead wife and seven-year-old daughter still haunt him—is cautious about his feelings for her. Tom and #3 also spend time with each other, going for long walks together. No one notices #4 growing more depressed and withdrawn. One afternoon on the trail, she steps in front of stampeding horses and is killed.
Prent and his outfit continue east through Wyoming, encountering a band of Crow Indians who demand payment to pass through their land. They demand two horses. Prent insists on only one, but gives the Indians a small carved horse figure he made as the second horse. Further on, Prent and Tom sense that they are being followed. That night, Prent sits alone by the fire while the others hide nearby. Ed and his gang ride into the camp. They were hired by Kate to bring back the Chinese girls and kill the rest. Pretending to be Smallpox Bob, Prent scares them away with the help of Tom and Heck providing cover.
After passing through Cody, Wyoming, Prent decides to head north through the Big Horn Mountains and over a steep pass known as the Whale's Back in order to avoid Ed and his gang. Tom wants to face the horse thieves and kill them, but Prent remains adamant. Although the way is steep, they manage to make it over with the horses safely. Eventually, Prent leads his horses safely into Sheridan, Wyoming, where he closes out the deal with Malcolm, who purchases the horses on behalf of the British Army. Afterwards, Prent and the others relax, bathe, and enjoy a good meal at Malcolm's home. That night, Prent gives Tom his share of the profits so he can start a new life.
The next day, after Tom rides off to gather in the strays, Ed and his gang show up in Sheridan and kill Heck. In the ensuing gun battle, Ed takes Nola, Lung Hay, and the girls hostage, forcing Prent to throw down his rifle. Just as Ed prepares to torture and kill Prent, the aging cowboy yells out a warning to Tom, who has just arrived back at the ranch. Tom rushes to the scene, aims, and shoots the gang members and wounds Ed. As the burly killer takes aim at Tom, Prent takes a heavy mallet and clubs Ed to death.
Sometime later, Nola and the girls prepare to board a stagecoach to San Francisco. Tom says goodbye to #3 as a gentle snow falls over them. She hugs Tom and boards the stage, but at the last minute, overwhelmed by feelings of love for the young cowboy, steps down with her bags. As the stage pulls away, Tom sees her standing there, and he smiles.
In 1912 at Siam Bend on the Snake River in Wyoming, Prent is fly fishing on his ranch when his longtime friend Lung Hay approaches with a letter from Nola, who has been corresponding with him for fourteen years. She writes that the girls are doing fine, and that her love for him has never wavered. In 1913, Heck's parents had his body disinterred and reburied in Richmond, Virginia. Ging Wa (#5) studied medicine at Stanford University and moved to China with Ghee Moon (#1) to start a hospital. They were lost in Mao Zedong's revolution. Tom Harte and Sun Fu married, and their grandchildren still ranch in Wyoming. Nola Johns was buried at Siam Bend on the Snake River. Prent rests at her side.

Review: The film opens in Chinatown San Francisco, 1898 where we five exotic virgins from the Celestial Empire are bought by Captain Billy Fender (James Russo) to be sold as slaves and introduced into the brief and violent life of prostitutionRobert Duvall stars as "Print" Ritter, an old cowhand whose sister left a will inheriting all to him rather than to her own son, Tom Harte (Thomas Haden Church) who lives in John Day Country Oregon...Print ignores why she has done it, or why was crossed between the two, but his sister done itPrint got the idea to buy a team of tough, high-desert mustangsthree to eight years of ageto take them to Sheridan, Wyoming to sell to the British Empire; the money they'll earn will be to increase their capital And on the shares, Print figures a 25-75 split on profits after expenses and loan repayment to the bank From this point, Hill's Western becomes a road movie, with all kinds of odd characters, from ugly villains to a friendly musician, but the key to "Broken Trail" is that through a series of circumstances, fate has placed the five Chinese innocent girls in the hands of Tom and his uncle But the reality is another Their families sold them to that rat captain heading out to the mining camp, where Kate, an odious saloon owner, bought them from an associate in San FranciscoOur two cowboys save the girls' lives from rape and take them along on their journeyWith great photography, gorgeous vistas, perilous ground, sensible brave girls, good and decidedly courageous men, great action when it is necessary, and a big confrontation at the climax of the movie, Hill's Western is a must see film for the fans of the genre.
Rather than rushing story and character development in order to get to the next action scene (so as to appease those with Attention Span Deficit Syndrome), Broken Trail understands that the mark of a really good Western lies with interesting, colorful characters and a storytelling style that convinces you to keep watching.I've always been a fan of Westerns and always will be; that's why it's so disappointing that today's movie/TV landscape doesn't seem to have the time, money, or patience to do the genre right.
And it works well.I was initially curious how captivated I would be by watching two men accompany five Chinese girls across the Western wilderness, but rather than focusing on the concept, this is all about the journey and the adventures and characters that are encountered along the way.
Here's a tip - never doubt a Western that Duvall is attached to.Moving at a smooth, campfire pace, Broken Trail presents characters you'll care about, conflicts you'll want to see resolved, cinematography that will convince you to take a trip out West, and enough Western justice to keep the die-hard fans of action content.
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.
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.
Walter Hill has been investigating this question since his days as a screenwriter, with a couple of stopovers in Dashiell Hammett country (his dauntingly unsuccessful version of Hammet's RED HARVEST, filmed as LAST MAN STANDING), comedies (48 HOURS), but here, in this leisurely western, he has found a perfect vehicle for this problem, and the right actor for the role in the ever-watchable Robert Duvall.
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 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).
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.
If you're looking for a good view of the old West, this movie is well worth your time.Great storyline, great acting, and fantastic scenery.Duvall seems to be timeless, as always, this time in a story that's all about time.
Thomas Haden Church adds his best performance ever, showing he's ready for more serious roles.The plot develops with a made-for-TV pace, which on occasion doesn't develop a scene as deeply as it could, but it does not fail to develop the characters to a fine pitch.On balance, it's the characters and the fantastic western setting which make this a western that should stand time.I'll enjoy watching it again in a few years..
"Broken Trail", a dream project for producer/star Robert Duvall, and AMC's first original film, is the spiritual heir to Kevin Costner's 2003 "Open Range" (also starring Duvall), and one of the most moving, involving Westerns of recent years.With a charismatic, extremely effective performance by Thomas Haden Church, as Duvall's long-estranged nephew, the film is one of only a handful of Westerns that combine epic sweep, superb characterization, and an understanding of the 'Real West', without shortchanging decency, or respect of an individual's worth.
Tom Harte (Church), despite some family history problems with his uncle, lives by the same code, and the two men, driving a herd of horses from Oregon to Wyoming to raise cash for a ranch, become the 'saviors' of five young Chinese women, sold into prostitution, who inadvertently fall into their hands.These are good men, in a jaded world, and their journey picks up other 'strays', as well as the women; young Virginian fiddler Heck Gilpin (an engaging Scott Cooper), is rescued by Tom in a saloon; aging Chinese laborer Lung Hay (Donald Fong), and careworn prostitute Nola John (the wonderful Greta Scacchi) join the group after Tom saves the Chinese women from rapists, in a boarding house/bordello.
While neither Ritter and Harte were overjoyed at the strange direction the drive was taking, they would not allow harm to fall on 'innocents', and the group bonds into a warm 'family', with Nola and Ritter finding a mature attraction between each other, and Tom and Sun Foy/#3 (Gwendoline Yeo, who speaks only Mandarin, in the film), gently falling in love.Danger is never far behind them, however, as brutal ex-con 'Big Ears' (Chris Mulkey), with a score to settle with Nola, and a 'contract' to return the Chinese women to whorehouse owner Kate 'Big Rump' Becker (Rusty Schwimmer), trails them, leading a gang of killers...While the film is long (240 minutes), director Walter Hill, an old hand at Westerns (his "The Long Riders" is one of my favorites), keeps the story constantly engrossing, and Duvall and Church have a warmth and authenticity as the characters that will stay with you, long after the movie ends.Shot in the Canadian Rockies, "Broken Trail" combines grandeur and intimacy seamlessly, has moments of great humor to lighten the drama, explosive action, and a bittersweet sense of nostalgia...It is, simply, superb!.
The film starts in 1898 , Ritter (Robert Duvall) a veteran cowboy sees declining the ending days of Wild West era and the transition to a new century .
Ritter along with his estranged nephew Tom (Thomas Haden Church), and another cowboy (Scott Cooper) transport a herd of horses across the northern , when save five Chinese girls kidnapped by a villain (James Russo).
Print Ritter and Harte's attempts to care for the Chinese are complicated by their responsibility to deliver a herd while avoiding a group of enemies intent on kidnapping the girls for their own objectives .This melancholic picture is acclaimed like one of the best Western TV of the last years with several prizes and various nominations for Gloden Globe .
Uncle Print (Robert Duvall) and Nephew Tom (Thomas Haden Church) are not men who talk their way out of difficult situations with clever words, or superheroes who dodge bullets and take out the bad guys with a carefully place sharp-shot.
Fortunately I read reviews - from the Boston Globe, the Washington Post, and the Houston Chronicla only after seeing Broken Trail.I am so glad that Robert Duvall re-edited the film to make it more a time/place and character piece than an "action film." Unlike the Washington Post reviewer I think that is the strength of the piece instead of a weakness.Unlike the Boston Globe reviewer I found Thomas Hayden Church's laconic delivery to be exactly suited to his character.I was delighted by Broken Trail, and agree with the Salon reviewer who proclaimed it to be "almost as good as Lonesome Dove...
That mindset is what makes any western great.In the traditional trail drive, non verbal male atmosphere, we have 5 kidnapped Chinese women ( rightfully not dubbed, so seemingly non-verbal as well) and this mix lifts the story far above the ordinary.
Greta Scacchi - looking beautifully her age - later comes in as a woman whose life has let her slip far downhill, and we have a truly great, restrained, mature, romantic scene between Duvall and Scacchi.Through all of this is really beautiful and majestic cinematography, used to to it's best to highlight and magnify the whole story.
This movie is a fitting way for Robert Duvall, one of our most gifted actors, to complete his western trilogy which began with the classic "Lonesome Dove" which yielded Tommy Lee Jone s finest work to date, followed by the memorable "Open Range", with Kevin Costner, and now the "Broken Trail".Thomas Haden Church also provides a dramatic performance of significant depth and force.
I didn't know anything about Broken Trail until I saw that Robert Duvall and Thomas Haden Church were nominated for Golden Globes for their performances in the film.
I am a real Duvall fan and his performances in all the stages of his life - To Kill A Mockingbird and The Great Santini being two of my all-time favorites - and now comes the pleasure of his performance in Broken Trail.Certainly not to be overlooked is Thomas Haden Church.
It can be added to the lineup of cable networks that provide the outlet for films that would never be produced by the big movie companies, but are able to supply the funds to make the production value of such films a small step up from most independent films created on shoestring budgets.Broken Trail provides the opportunity for a movie lover to sit back, enjoy a good story, and relish in excellent acting talents headed by Duvall and Church.
Take it from an old timer who grew up on a Wyoming ranch, the movie takes a lot of liberties with reality.The story line is that an old cow poke (Robert Duvall) buys up a large herd of horses in Oregon which he intends to drive 700 miles from Oregon to Sheridan, Wyoming to sell to a British agent who is buying them for use in the Boer War in South Africa.
In the scene one horse actually falls during the run.If the drive starts in Oregon, much of eastern Oregon and western Idaho is pretty barren and dry yet the route is covered from beginning to end with grass, which might be true in Canada where the movie was shot.Because at some point in the journey, the drive encounters fishermen on the Snake River, it must be assumed that the route taken was through southern Idaho and then north though Montana.
My husband and I viewed the most recent western featuring Robert Duval in Broken Trail, and we agree with him on the fact that nothing beats a great western movie.
Duvall and the others in Broken Trail, as well as Kevin Costner in Open Range, and others in Lonesome Dove have given us some great viewing on TV.
Especially when these days most of what you see on television or theaters is evil, sex,or violence to such degree that it's no wonder the younger generation is corrupt.We feel that people like Duvall and Costner should continue making westerns and maybe there would be sequels to some already done, i.e. Open Range, Broken Trail.
I sensed in the story both a slavish faithfulness to the Western genre: one good guy gets dispatched (Buck) while all the bad guys meet their maker in various gunfights; while on the other hand accurate historical contexts press in on every side: the Gold Rush, the Chinese immigrations, the Boer War, the Spanish-American War, etc., and provide the real-world engines for all the actions like a great historical novel.
But I certainly agree: Duval and everybody else superb; the story a great morality play of integrity in a world of evil; slow pacing magnificent; script/dialogue/conversations between characters masterful and wonderful.
Despite having all the elements in place for a great Western, (ie: Great cast, good writing, excellent director, brilliant cinematography), I found myself slightly disappointed by Broken Trail's lack of conflict.
Print Ritter (Duvall) and his nephew Tom Harte (Church) take a herd of horses over western lands to be sold to the Army.
Turn of the century cowboys Robert Duvall and nephew Thomas Haden Church literally bet the farm on a herd of horses and a drive from Oregon to Wyoming.
However, they find themselves the protectors of five Chinese girls, slated for prostitution, and pursued by hired killer Chris Mulkey.Broken Trail seems almost like one of Sam Peckinpah's odes to the final days of the old west, with an aging Duvall, who gives (as usual) an exceptional performance, finding himself a man out of place in changing times, with the younger Church not far behind.
Robert Duvall will eventually go down as one of the all time great movie cowboys, even though he starred in only three westerns, and appeared in support in a handful of others.The three that he starred include the greatest western film of all time, Lonesome Dove, and two excellent examples of the genre, Open Range and Broken Trail.
Print(Robert Duvall) is the ideal good man,who sets out to make a business of selling horses with his nephew, Tom (Thomas Haden Church) but will save some Chinese girls, who were bought for prostitution.
I'll take even a sloppy Duvall performance any day and he still has some very nice moments in Broken Trail, particularly with the Chinese girls who get adopted by the the horse drivers.
it's simply that when compared to Lonesome Dove or some other great Duvall films, Broken Arrow comes up pretty short..
Now we have a high quality 3 1/2 hour made-for-TV western from skilled movie-men Robert Duval and Walter Hill.
Robert Duval and Thomas Haden Church are uncle and nephew in this wonderful western tale directed by Walter Hill.
Broken Trail is a film that is reminiscent of Lonesome Dove in so many ways, and since Lonesome Dove is the best western ever made, that is a good thing.
Print Ritter (Robert Duvall) and Tom Harte (Thomas Haden Church), Print's nephew, were two horse wranglers driving a herd of 400 mustangs across wild country with gorgeous backdrops from Oregon to Wyoming in 1898.The obstacle the two cowboys faced during their journey was in having to free and then protect five Chinese women from their kidnapper, who was selling them into prostitution.
BROKEN TRAIL, a latter-day Western shot expressly for AMC and directed by the legendary Walter Hill, is a leisurely, four-hour look at a mustang drive from Oregon to Wyoming headed by a crusty old coot (Robert Duvall) and his estranged nephew (Thomas Haden Church).
It's hard to not like anything Western that Duvall stars in, such as "Open Range" and "Lonesome Dove." But this one is maybe the best yet, since it's based on some good historical authenticity, such as the horse drive that was real, "Smallpox Bob," and the lives of many Chinese girls sold into prostitution and slavery back then.
I first must start off by saying that I am not a fan of the "Western" genre; but I have always been a fan of Robert Duvall and Thomas Haden Church, the lead actors in this compelling story-line, the supporting actors, the writing, the cinematography and the direction kept me glued to the screen.
"Academy Award Winner Robert Duvall and Academy Award Nominee Thomas Haden Church star in Broken Trail, an AMC two night original movie event.