Last year, jonathan demme presented her debut feature, river of grass as part of his rarely seen. To set aside its many other accomplishments, meek s cutoff is the first film ive seen that evokes what must have been the reality of wagon trains to the west. Meeks cutoff 2010 kelly reichardt is among the most consistently brilliant indie film directors around, so it should come as no surprise that meeks cutoff, her stab at. Reichardts previous films were smallscale indie doodles slight exercises in atmosphere and introspection. The cost of feeding the oxen and horses on meek s cutoff was equal to the entire budget of reichardts second film the melancholy buddy movie old joy, which starred the singersongwriter will.
The journey was a particularly hard one, and many of the pioneers lost their lives. The film reunites the filmmakers and oscope who previously worked. Apr 15, 2011 it s the oregon trail, 1845, and nothing much is happening to a lost wagon train of three families. Meek s cutoff film, a 2010 film telling the story of the party blazing the trail disambiguation page providing links to topics that could be referred to by the same search term this disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title meek s cutoff. The year is 1845, the earliest days of the oregon trail, and a wagon train of three families has hired mountain man stephen meek to guide them over the cascade. The story is loosely based on a historical incident on the oregon trail in 1845, in which frontier guide stephen meek led a wagon train on an illfated journey through the oregon desert along the route later known as the meek cutoff in the. Meek cutoff was a covered wagon road that branched off the oregon trail in northeastern oregon and was used as an alternate emigrant route to the willamette valley in the mid19th century. From an academic perspective, yannis tzioumakis 2012a argues that the independent and. One film that does a great job of revealing the mighty span of history thats implicit in a small groups westward voyage is terrence malicks the new. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing meek s cutoff near you. Meeks cutoff could be the most understated, and historically accurate, horror film in history. Perhaps the most powerful moment in the film is when she. In some areas, the terrain looks much like it did during the mid1800s, when settlers headed west on the oregon trail.
He claims to know a shortcut, but when they soon become lost. With michelle williams, bruce greenwood, paul dano, will patton. At the film forum, 209 west houston street, west of. Rent meeks cutoff 2011 on dvd and bluray dvd netflix. The year is 1845 and a wagon train of three families has hired mountain man stephen meek to guide them over the cascade mountains. It concerns a small group of pioneers trekking across 1845 oregon, led by stephen meek a never better bruce greenwood. The first thing that bears mentioning with regards to meeks cutoff is the trailer and it does connect to the film in a very real way. In 1845, the earliest days of the oregon trail, a wagon train of three families hires mountain man stephen meek to guide them over the cascade mountains. Over the years from watching movie westerns, ive developed a composite image of wagon. The first film ive seen that evokes what must have been the reality of wagon trains to the west.
Its a western, but its completely unlike any western ive ever seen. The year is 1845, the earliest days of the oregon trail, and a wagon train of three families has hired mountain man stephen meek to guide them over the cascade mountains. Over the years from watching movie westerns, ive developed a. As had been the case with many indie features before, meeks cutoff. Kelly reichardts remarkable new film isnt a revisionist westernits a rediscovery. A new trailer for director kelly reichardt s western meek s cutoff has arrived.
This is western, but meeks cutoff continually emphasizes labour and labour is gender specific. After watching the trailer youd get the sense that while this will be a dramatic western and one with a journey but itd be more uptempo. Apr 08, 2011 michelle williams portrays a member of a pioneer family crossing oregon territory in meeks cutoff, directed by kelly reichardt. Meeks cutoff represents a significant step forward for director kelly reichardt, a critical darling whose work to this point old joy, wendy and lucy ive faintly admired. December 2012 november 2012 october 2012 september 2012. Set in 1845, meek s cutoff carves its own visual path, steering away from becoming overly consumed with the stunning landscape the characters often ignore or endure their natural surroundings. Meeks cutoff programs its responses under the apparent guise of an objective depiction. Kelly reichardts frontier drama meek s cutoff opens in the year 1845, on the wideopen plains of oregon, where a wagon team of three families has set out on a journey along the oregon trail. December 2012 november 2012 october 2012 august 2012 july 2012 june 2012 may 2012. Jun 16, 2017 le film meeks cutoff 2010 vostfr admin 20170616t20. Meeks cutoff kelly reichardt from the opening shot, as the 3wagon troupe embarks on an agonizingly slow trip crossing the river, director kelly reichardt lets us know this is a new take on the western, a sparingly bleak look at an 1845 trip through the oregon desert. Tubi offers streaming westerns movies and tv you will love. Meeks cutoff is a very, very slow movie, with little or no traditional turning points in the script.
Apr 08, 2011 meek s cutoff oscilloscope features is kelly reichardt s fifth feature film, and the third to receive any significant theatrical release. Settlers traveling through the oregon desert in 1845 find themselves stranded in harsh conditions. The civil war was yet to take place and much of the land was unexplored and unclaimed. The film stars michelle williams and paul dano in a story about three families who become lost on the oregon trailer. A simple wikipedia search will show how inaccurate this movie is. Rent meek s cutoff 2011 starring michelle williams and bruce greenwood on dvd and bluray. Meek s cutoff is a montage of seductive landscape paintings masquerading as a movie. They are lost, food and water are running out, and the surrounding desert threatens to. May 11, 2011 to set aside its many other accomplishments, meek s cutoff is the first film ive seen that evokes what must have been the reality of wagon trains to the west. Meeks cutoff, which recently screened at venice in competition and. The cost of feeding the oxen and horses on meeks cutoff was equal to the entire budget of reichardts second film the melancholy buddy movie.
Kelly reichardt is an awardwinning filmmaker and screenwriter, and widely hailed as one of our most important contemporary filmmakers. Michelle williams stars in a bleak, enigmatic and masterful western about families on the oregon trail. Meeks cutoff stands a little further back a century and a half, give or take. We see a complete arc in how we perceive emily at the end of the film when meek realises his loss of power and submits himself to emily. Reichardt draws heavily on womens diaries from the period, and part of the films success. The performances, photography and score are excellent. The desert near bend, oregon has been desolate, isolated and arid since time immemorial.
The first thing that bears mentioning with regards to meek s cutoff is the trailer and it does connect to the film in a very real way. Kelly may have stolen our plans and completed work on a time machine. Its a spare period piece about a band of pioneers lost in the wastelands of the oregon high desert. Meek s cutoff 2011 during the 1840s, six settlers and their guide are caught in a dangerous situation. Its both the scariest and most poetic film of the year. The film is roughly based on a true incident, which created the alternative trail meek s cutoff, that runs from vale, oregon to the dalles at the columbia river. They were grueling, dirty, thirsty, burning and freezing ordeals.
In kelly reichardts meeks cutoff the title seems to reference the abrupt ending the conclusion may have been dictated by budget. The film manages a sense of gritty realism without resorting to overstating the harsh conditions for. Everything you need to know about meeks cutoff movie 2011. Kelly reichardts meeks cutoff is a slowburn, minimalist representation of the great spirit of blind hope and adventure that lead the frontier men and women into. A horrible excuse of a movie to portray this as meeks cutoff. Watch free westerns movies and tv shows online in hd on any device. Much like her previous two movies, kelly reichardts meek s cutoff is a minimalist little gem that refuses to fit into any sort of mold that weve seen before. Even a low budget film could show the accurate history. The jacob burns film center jbfc is a nonprofit cultural arts center dedicated to teaching literacy for a visual culture. Then we look upon the indian through emilys gaze framed by the half dead half alive tree. Meek s cutoff could be the most understated, and historically accurate, horror film in history.
Apr 14, 2011 michelle williams plays settler emily tetherow in kelly reichardt s frontier drama meek s cutoff. Also, i challenge anyone who thought the long night episode of game of thrones is too dark to check this one out for comparison. This is an ambitious period piece that nonetheless retains reichardts talent for capturing human. Apr 08, 2011 this is meek s cutoff, a brooding western of sorts which trails three families inching across the oregon desert by foot and wagon in 1845.
Meeks cutoff is a 2010 american western film directed by kelly reichardt. Their guide, a mountain man named stephen meek, has led them astray, telling them about a supposed shortcut off the main oregon trail. April 8th, 2011 the year is 1845, the earliest days of the oregon trail, and a wagon team of three families has hired the mountain man stephen meek to guide them over the cascade. Despite 55 film credits, the star of kelly reichardt. Perhaps it knows that if it does nothing it cant be accused of doing anything wrong. Both williams and reichardt join fresh air s terry gross for a discussion about the film, which. If you enjoy watching films that have absolutely no conclusion to them whatsoever then this is the movie for you. The year is 1845, the earliest days of the oregon trail, and a wagon train of three families has hired mountain man stephen meek. Meek s cutoff oscilloscope features is kelly reichardts fifth feature film, and the third to receive any significant theatrical release. I have not seen, in quite some time, a movie that has messed with my head as thoroughly as meek s cutoff has these past couple of days. Feb 25, 2011 the year is 1845, the earliest days of the oregon trail, and a wagon team of three families has hired the mountain man stephen meek to guide them over the cascade mountains. Meek s cutoff is a boring ol handful of nothin that wastes good actors and cinematography on what could have basically been a short film. May, 2011 a western that strips away many of the genres populist conventions, meeks cutoff loosely adapts the story of stephen meek and the wagon trail he led into the oregon high desert that resulted in 23 deaths he judged it wholly successful.
The first thing you see in meeks cutoff, after a handscrawled title card placing the action in the oregon territory in 1845, is a small group of settlers fording a river. Oscars best picture winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comiccon sundance film festival toronto intl film festival awards central festival central all events. Working on a richer and more intricate canvas than shes previously attempted, kelly reichardt has pulled off a rare thing with meeks cutoff a lowbudget period western with a. It s the film meek s cutoff, and mountain man stephen meek bruce greenwood is the guide whose cutoff has landed the voyagers without water and no idea where to get it or to their destination, traversing the cascades. As with her previous films, meeks cutoff also maintains a functional style. Stephan meek, a fur trader, suggested avoiding the blue mountains because it was thought that the indians were murderous in that region. Forse non sara possibile che meeks cutoff venga apprezzato da tutti. Also sign me up for fanmail to get updates on all things movies. Meek s cutoff follows a couple of families as they follow a man named meek who promised them he could get them to the mountains quicker then the trail. Feb 06, 2015 in 1845, the earliest days of the oregon trail, a wagon train of three families hires mountain man stephen meek to guide them over the cascade mountains. May 06, 2011 meeks cutoff stands a little further back a century and a half, give or take. Meeks cutoff is undeniably a fascinatingly idiosyncratic. A horrible excuse of a movie to portray this as meek s cutoff. He calls meeks cutoff a genuine art film, referencing this genres.
The film is a brilliant revision of the american western. Meeks cutoff 2010 online sa prevodom popcorn srbija. Claiming to know a short cut, meek leads the group on an unmarked path across the high plain desert, only to become lost in the dry rock and sage. Meek s cutoff on dvd september, 2011 starring paul dano, bruce greenwood, shirley henderson, zoe kazan.
Even worse, the abrupt, infuriating ending leaves the ultimate fate of the pioneers up in the air and lets viewers decide whether or not the pioneers made a huge mistake in trusting the indian. The year is 1845, the earliest days of the oregon trail, and a wagon train of three families has hired mountain man stephen meek to guide. In old joy 2006, wendy and lucy 2008, and now in meeks cutoff, she portrays a nation full of quiet, almost traumatised seekers after a. Meek s cutoff is a 2010 american western film directed by kelly reichardt. If meek s cutoff is every inch a western, it s an art film mutant of the genre, inching along with intensely naturalistic obsession for detail that courts tedium even as it dares us not to pay. I find it difficult to watch a film portraying something historical, and completely destroying history in the process. Both movies have many long stretches in which seemingly nothing happens, and thats also the case with meek s cutoff.
Watch free westerns movies and tv shows online tubi. Apr 14, 2011 kelly reichardt is a poet of american solitude. An evenstar films, filmscience and harmonyprimitive nerd presentation. Meeks cutoff is a very slowmoving western about three pioneer families lost in the sagebrush, looking for a mountain pass into oregon. The road was named for frontiersman stephen meek, who was hired to lead the first wagon train along it in 1845.
The travelers keep moving, and they keep searching for water, but the ultimate point of the movie isnt about finding water its about the different sides of any story and how nothing is fixed or definite. The film was shown in competition at the 67th venice international film festival. The film s refusal to spectacularize the emigrants hardships, as well as the story s lack of a clear beginning or end, signal major difficulties driving this. Apr 08, 2011 enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing meeks cutoff near you. Their escort is stephen meek bruce greenwood, a loquacious, overfriendly cowboy, who has a tacit. Meeks cutoff sbs on demand, news, sport, food, movies. It s this austere filmmaker s first period piece and her.