The Trap [1966] [DVD]

Made at the height of the Swinging Sixties, this surprisingly moving drama was a distinct change of pace for stars Oliver Reed and Rita Tushingham. Set in Canada in the 1880s, it traces the relationship of fur trapper Reed and the waif-like Tushingham, a mute he purchases at a wife auction.

Acting almost solely with her enormous eyes, Tushingham gives a genuinely affecting performance and, as impatience turns to understanding and ultimately affection, Reed also demonstrates a mellow side that he too rarely allowed us to see.

Director Sidney Hayers makes their bloodcurdling adventures wholly believable, and ultimately the tragedy of the tale is heartrending. Cinematographer Robert Krasker's views of the snowy mountains are often majestic.