"La Bête" (Oliver Reed) is a fur trapper, eking out a living in the wilderness of British Columbia. He travels to the trading post once a year to trade his pelts and hopefully buy himself a wife. Eligible women are something of a rare thing this far North so when he is offered the chance to swap his gold for the young mute, Rita Tushingham, he doesn't think twice and off they head back to his log cabin. She is a fiercely independent girl, and no push over for this larger-than-life bully, but the two must learn to co-exist of they are not to freeze/starve to death. Returning from a hunting expedition, he is attacked by wolves (the best, most intense photography of the film) and only just survives thanks to her intervention and we sense a thaw setting in... This is really a three hander - Reed, Tushingham and their hostile environment; and all three play well with a superb theme from Ron Goodwin (that many Brits will recognise if they watch another test of human endurance on the telly - The London Marathon). The cinematography of the wintery scenes and generally wild scenery is breathtaking and makes their battle of wills and their somewhat unusual love story - not in the least romantic - all the more enjoyable to watch. What dialogue there is, is unimportant - this is about acting and imagery, and it works really well.
