Ever wonder how life was on the Oregon Trail? I bet you never imagined it like how Meek’s Cutoff depicted it. This film went old school in not only the characters, scenery, props and story but also the way it was shot and shown. Don’t expect a glorious digital wide screen for this one…you can expect a square box like how films used to be shown! With a spectacular cast and historic focus, Meek’s Cutoff takes you back to the time of pioneers from the vision of a pioneer director herself.
Directed by Kelly Reichardt, Meek’s Cutoff tells the story of a group traveling west through the harsh terrain of Oregon in 1845. There are three families in three wagons led by an “expert” named Meek (Bruce Greenwood). You have the wonderful Michelle Williams as Emily Tetherow alongside her husband Soloman Tetherow played by Will Patton as well as the up and coming Paul Dano playing Thomas Gately with his wife Millie (Zoe Kazan). This amazing cast really made the film bearable since there wasn’t much going on in the movie. They showed deep human emotion while keeping almost ghostly silent throughout the film as they made their meticulous decisions every step of the way.
Pioneers got really dirty.
Watching Meek’s Cutoff was as excruciating as the journey these pioneers had to make which proved the veracity of this film. It was a struggle to say the least. The scenery was pretty flat and the dialogue was kept to a minimum which reflected the truth of the situation pretty well. Most of the story was taken from accounts found in diaries of settlers who made the trip. Most of the movie was told from the point of view of the women which was interesting since the men made all the decisions. But the past isn’t much different from the present and behind every man is a woman and men make sure to listen to their wives.
The strong women of Meek's Cutoff: Michelle Williams, Zoe Kazan and Shirley Henderson
The three families have to decide to trust their own instincts or the instincts of the man they hired to lead them through safely but really doesn’t give two hoots about them. They find themselves lost in the middle of badlands and running out of water and equipment. You see the darkest nights and horrible conditions that these people had to endure as they trekked on for hopes of something better. But they literally have no idea what they’re doing and the future looks bleak…and then an Indian (Rod Rondeaux) pops up.
The future is bleak with Meek
You have to approach this film with caution. It is a great piece of work but it’s not for everyone. It’s a narrative but walks the fine line of being a documentary since it took such painstaking measures to stay true to the content of the film. There are plenty of themes and ideas you can pull from the story but in the end it’s about human endurance and decision making on many levels: for yourself, for your family and for the good of the people around you. I love seeing how others lived and this film showed something that’s been glamorized and spun around on it’s head. Meek’s Cutoff is probably the closest you’ll get to really feeling the pains and tribulations of following hopes and dreams through the unknown. I couldn’t do it…could you?
This post is part of our SFIFF coverageFounded in 1957, the San Francisco International Film Festival is the longest-running film festival in the Americas. Held each spring for two weeks, the International is an extraordinary showcase of cinematic discovery and innovation in the country’s most beautiful city, featuring some 150 films and live events with more than 100 filmmakers in attendance and nearly two dozen awards presented for cinematic excellence. The Festival attracts an annual audience of more than 80,000.Visit an Francisco International Film Festival’s Official Website
Tags: Bruce Greenwood, Kelly Reichardt, Meek's Cutoff, Michelle Williams, Neal Huff, Paul Dano, Rod Rondeaux, Shirley Henderson, Tommy Nelson, Will Patton, Zoe Kazan
Matthew Fong created advancescreenings.com and is the lead contributor. He watches every type of movie and will try almost anything twice. You can follow him on twitter here: @matthewfong
