The Trap (1966) Movie Script

1
Preacher.. The steamer's in!
The steamer's in!
Shane, Shane! Look, the boat!
Our women are here!
The steamer's in!
You haven't got time for that.
Eve, the steamer's in!
Mother, Mother!
Mother, the steamer's in!
Yes, I heard it.
How many times have I told you
not to shout inside the house!
- Can I go for the mail?
- No.
- Please, Mother.
- I said no.
Please.
- Our new piano will have come too.
- Not ??? it'll be in the dock today.
- But mother...
- I said no.
I've told you time and again,
we don't mix with those people.
Alright.
- Where is Eve?
- Outside.
Eve.
Eve.
Eve.
I've been calling you.
There will be mail for us,
I want you to go and get it.
And I want to thread, blue thread,
mind you not forget.
Fifteen wolves, eight lynx,
one bear.
All right.
Fifteen lynx, eight wolves, one ...
Oh, hello Eveie.
Come to meet the boat, have ya?
I'll come with you.
- Watch 'em, they'll cheat us if they can.
- Yes, sir.
All right, child.
Come on. Come on.
Go on.
Jail bait Evie, from the east.
Their husbands to be,
have bailed them out,
they payed their fines and their passages
with a guarantee of marriage.
They are waiting for the preacher now.
Be glad you're not one of them.
- So this is it.
- Yes, and none the worse for wear.
The end of my peace and quiet
at home.
Come, and have a drink.
It's for the traders daughter.
The darn things costs a fortune.
- And my daughter can't play a note.
- Drink up, friend, forget your worries.
Well, Eve.
Evie, and how's is my little
silent beauty, eh?
Ah, you've grown a
women over the winter.
A fine young woman.
- I expect my wife sent sent her down for the mail.
- Aye, and mail she shall have.
Ah, there you are.
Oh, there's nothing for you my child.
Maybe one next year.
You think she'll ever speak?
Guess not.
- Damn murdering Blackfoots.
- Across the border, wasn't it?
Montana, ten years ago this coming Christmas Eve.
The whole lot were trussed-up and
burning like roast pigs.
Children as well.
and her mother... nailed to a wall.
Dying.
And Evie, hidden under a bench
saw everything.
No wonder she was struck dumb.
Gather round friends,
come along, come along.
All right now, gather round.
The brides are ready to be claimed
by their prospective husbands.
Then we proceed
directly to the church.
Now this is ...
Abigail Sonders, widow,
born Providence, Rhode Island..
..of Ebenezer Sonders and Mary Lock.
Found guilty of immoral earnings
in the city of Baltimore, on the
10th of May, last year.
Bound over in March to Joshua Turnbull,
on guarantee of ship passage to Vancouver
and subsequent marriage.
You mark here, Mr. Turnbull.
La Bete..he come!
Jean La Bete!
Jean!
Hey, Jean La Bete!
Hey Jean! Jean La Bete!
I must go.
What's the matter?
There are more furs to come in, and
the clerk's alone.
Hey, wait, wait!
Hey, there's half bottle left!
Jean?
Hey, you old devil you!
- Baptiste.
- Where you been?
Some indians told me you were dead
they said that old Adam had got you.
two winters now.
Old Adam bear?
It take more than some old grizzly bear
to finish Jean La Bete.
But he's smart, my friend
smart like a fox.
But it take a fox
to catch a fox. Hey!
Arctic foxes.
Some whites, by gosh ...
white ... like snow.
... one guarantee shipment to Vancouver
and subsequent marriage
La Bete,
you told me he was dead,
last year and the year before.
I paid you gold to tell me.
"Yellow Dog" and "No Name"
never say him dead..
only say him gone
...from old camp.
You damn liar!
Come on, the thread's over there.
What color?
Blue.
It's on the top shelf.
What's it worth?
Haven't you got any work to do?
Quiet, quiet everybody. Quiet, please quiet.
Now listen carefully.
The man who bought this woman
died before she got here,
She is already paid for, so
highest bidder takes her.
Now she's not young, but she's sound of limb
and can do a hard days work.
She's got a child with her..
..who wants that?
Makes her even more desirable
shows she ain't barren.
Now I'll need an opening bid to get things started,
will someone make me an opening bid?
- I set off with thirty.
- Thirty, $30, $30, do I hear 35?
- Thirty-five dollars.
- 35, 35, do I hear 40?
- Forty dollars.
- Forty-five dollars.
I am bid $45, do I hear 50?
Do I hear 50?
- Fifty dollars.
- Fifty-five.
Fifty-five dollars, 55,
Do I hear 60?
- Do I hear 60?
- $60.
Sixty-five dollars, 65, I am bid $ 65,
Do I hear seventy?
- Do I hear $70?
- $70.
- Seventy-five dollars!
- $75, I am bid $75 .
Will anybody pay $100
for this good woman?
One hundred.. will somebody pay $100
for this fine, mature woman?
75 it is then, to this good man.
Going, going, gone.
- One hundred dollars.
- Oh, you're too late.
For $100 she's mine.
The bidding's closed
she's sold to this man.
My money is as good as his...
Better.
Eh, eh, eh, Get your hands off!
Hold it, hold it.
That's enough trapper!
The bidding is over!
- Then bring me another one captain.
- You'll have to wait till next year...
...if you have the money.
750 American dollars.
In advance.
Seven hundred?
250 to release her from prison.
500 for her passage.
Then make her a young one Captain, a young
strong one who can work hard...
and make plenty of good children.
I will pay you tomorrow.
All right now, calm down everyone.
Calm down.
Run on home child, this is no place for you.
The trader, where is he?
He's in his office, but he's busy.
Get him.
I said he's busy.
Get him.
There are a trapper outside
a huge brute, with a ...
big black beard, says
he wants to see you.
Yes, I ... I know.
Are you all right, sir?
Yes, I'll a ..I'll be out in a minute.
My friend ...
..you are not pleased to see me, hum?
Come see what I've got for you.
Where these come from..
..it is cold,like the end of the earth, huh, Baptiste?
- Ah, oui.
Yes.
These should sell high in San Francisco.
- Aha, with the rest of the money you've saved for me.
I'll be rich man, ah,
rich, almost like you.
I'll have money to buy new rifle.
enough money to buy myself a woman too...
..eh, Baptiste?
Rifle good.
Rifle..
..rifle good.
She's a man's best friend,
better than a woman almost.
Next year ...
..maybe I have a woman too, aahh!
The captain's woman...
Cost a lot of money.
I have money ...
- You got money... yes?
- Yes, me.
Jean La Bete. I got money.
After paying for the trap...
and for the rifle, maybe money for...
....two women!
or maybe one woman...
You don't believe me?
No!
Listen to me...
when Jean La Bete
say he has money..
..he has money.
I'll never be able to
play this thing, never.
All right Sarah, you may read
for us now.
Yes, mother.
We must find someone to
give you lessons.
Perhaps the Captain can bring a teacher back
with him on his next trip.
Though I speak with the tongues of
men and of angels..
and have not charity
I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal.
And though I have the gift of prophecy ...
Who is there?
Hey my friend, I was looking for you.
I want my money.
How dare you come bursting
in here like this?
My God ...
I wished I had a woman like you.
Next year ...
next year, when I have
a woman like you ...
..maybe I buy one of
these too, um?
Sarah, go upstairs at once.
Maybe I buy you, um?
and you bring it with you.
Now who are you? What do you want?
My money.
- I come to get it.
- But you don't need it tonight.
That kanuk Baptiste ....
..he call me a liar.
We will see, huh?
What money? What does he mean?
- I can tell him that you have it, it's the same thing.
- No.
Oh no, kanuk like Baptiste
believe only with their eyes.
Oh, is drunk, give him what
he wants and get rid of him.
- What are you doing? That's ours.
- I know what I'm doing.
- But that's for our passage to San Francisco.
- That's next year.
- $1000, and that includes today's furs.
- But you can't do this!
Now that kanuk can
eat his words, hum?
Hum!
He will see that I have enough money
to buy a woman.
You're a good friend.
Eh.
No!
Little rabbit!
Get back to the kitchen!
You must have something to say for yourself.
The money was his, I had to
give it back to him.
He left it with me for safe keeping.
I was told that he was dead.
But you've given him gold
from our own savings!
- You have to make it up first thing tomorrow morning!
- I can't make it up!
What do you mean... you can't make it up?
I mean all the money
we have is there!
What are you talking about? There is money
at the trading post.
- The safe is empty!
- Empty?!!
- But you'll be paid for your furs tomorrow!
- Yes, with money I owe already!
But you can borrow, you can get credit!
Credit, I have no more
credit, understand, none!
Our only chance to get out of here
and you've given it away.
To a filthy trapper
- The money was his!
To an animal!
A wild animal!
I may be many things,
but I am not a thief!
And what about Sarah? How is she
ever going to find a decent husband now?
There are men here as good
as any of the men in San Francisco!
Here ... Go!
- Well, sell that damn thing!
- Never!
We have the right to nice things!
We have a right to something.
Wait here.
The water is cold.
Last night you said you wanted a woman.
If you wait for the Captain to bring you one
it'll take a year, you know that, don't you?
I can get you one today...
- A thousand dollars.
- A thousand dollars?
She's never been to prison.
She is not the kind of trash
the Captain brings up here.
And she's never known another man ...
You can have her if you take her away now.
Alright, child.
Her parents were killed
in an indian raid ten years ago.
My husband found her and brought
her home to live with us.
What's your name, little rabbit?
Speak to me ...
- I'm talking to you!
- She can't speak,
shock.
But she's a good strong girl,
she cooks well and she sews too.
Her name is Eve.
A thousand dollars for a woman
who can't talk?
That's a lotta money.
- Better than a woman who talks too much.
- Huh?
Here, take.
Stay!
When I'm a man
I'll take me a wife
We'll live in a house
on the hill, the hill
Hey woman!
My mother taught me that song.
My mother ...
With carriage and horses,
all white, all white
And she will have diamond
and pearls, and pearls
And she will have diamond and pearls.
Go get wood,
build fire over there.
Hey, rabbit!
Where are you going little rabbit, huh?
In the forest at night ...
keep close to fire ...
saver from wolf, bear ...
..wildcat.
Woman ...
Why you not eat?
Indians say: bear meat
good for woman,
help make good children.
Here,
Eat!
Tomorrow ...
tomorrow you pay ...
You'll pay!
Pull it up!!
Pull!
Here, work make you warm.
Move woman!
Faster!
Go!
Stand still.
Don't worry...
.. black bear not dangerous,
unless with cub.
Take these inside, make fire.
Woman,
here, chop wood,
I get some meat.
Put the roof on here, to
keep the snow out
the bait here
on a nail in the hole in the tree.
The martin run up the pole across the trap
to get the meat ...
...he's caught.
This got poor smell
but eyes like a hawk.
Here,
when he sees the wing flapping, he's wondering
what's happened, so he come across..
..he sees fat old bird and
smell here the old perfume..
..made from rotten dead fish.
Then, wanting dinner..
..step over these sticks here..
You see that cross?
..he's put his foot across the top.
Little rabbit.
You come here every day,
always uses the same path,
like sheep...
..so wolf come here too..
..looking for sheep who is
sick or hurt maybe...
Fat here..
..then the blade..
..put the blade in the fat.
When the wolf bite the fat
he cut his tongue so he howl ...
loud, then the other wolfs
hear him so they come quick,
then they smell the blood,
tear him to pieces..
..then each other.
Sometime maybe one lump of fat
will kill five wolf.
That good for me.
Don't have to kill so many.
Damn bear Adam, see, trap sprung.
Bait half gone.
Now he is in some cave somewhere
laughing at us.
Jean La Bete still smarter than him though.
First, more bait
Up there in the tree, not on the ground
where fox and wolf can steal 'em first.
Here.
Here!
Tie 'em on tight.
Come on women, by the time you finish
old Adam be down here eat the bait,
the trap, fox, you and me.
Soon I teach you everything
about trapping,
then you won't need
Jean Le Bete no more, umm.
I will make surprise
for old Adam bear.
Put all these small trap,
..around the big one here, see?
Then the old bear come down the path,
put his foot in the small trap..
bang..he's caught.
so he does a dance, around here
to get his toe loose..
... but he forget the big one
take a step back ....boom.
This winter that damn old bear will
find out who run the forest.
Woman.
Woman come here!
What's the matter?
Alright then, damn woman, stay here
for cougar, bear or wolf to eat.
Here take this.
Go home now.
Follow mark on trees.
If wolf follow, fire gun.
Hurry now, before the
dark come..
Soon we have big snow!
Women make good home.
Trapper no good.
You come with "Yellow Dog."
Indian better, make more children
than white man.
Indian!
I seen big house once, in San
Francisco, with a thousand lights, hanging like ...
one big bunch of grapes
in a branch on the ceiling.
The man who ... owned
this house smoked cigars.
Had..diamond here in shirt front
like button.
What do you think a that, huh?
Diamond here!
This man was ...
was a friend of my father.
Well ...
My father knew him once back in Qubec
The man who wore that diamond.
That's where we come from..
..Qubec.
After my mother died,
I was ... I was this big.
There was no work so my
father went trapping.
One day ...
He went out to trap line..
..and don't come back.
I got cold and hungry waiting for him.
After a week..
...some Indian come by..
..take me away.
They taught me everything I teach you.
One old squaw used to take
me in her bed each night.
She smelled bad here from bear grease
that ole squaw.
..but she keep me warm.
Here,
one little sip make you feel happy.
See,
from Quebec.
Every year my mother ...
used to make Christmas tree.
One year I found this hanging from branch.
After Christmas dinner ...
everyone would dance,
my father ...
my mother ...me ...
..everyone ... like this..
Now. .. you dance?
Now what?
You don't like to laugh and dance?
Damn you...put that down,
What sort of a woman are you?
Or maybe you're not a woman!
Maybe Jean La Bete paid
thousand dollars for nothing.
Maybe ...
Maybe he bought a
cold stick of wood, huh?
This!
What is this, if a woman is
a cold stick of wood? Huh?
Tell me that.
And this?
What is this table ...?
for only two people..Huh?
What use is woman ...!?
When she is not a woman! Huh?
When she don't keep man's bed
warm at night!
When she don't laugh with him at night,
And make children!
Tell me that!
Why you looking at me like that ...?
With eyes like trapped rabbit .
Every night the same thing
Why do you stare ...?
I should let breed have you.
They don't take no
from a woman!
Stubborn bear Adam.
The snow stop.
Why don't you come out for food, eh?
Pheasant, crow, blue jay ...
have full bellies, not you.
Get out!
Load it!!
Rum!
The leg is broken.
Get skin ...
rabbit.
Here, here.
Wrap em round.
Tomorrow ... you must get help.
There are indian two day away.
Their medicine man ...
..he know how to mend ...
.... mend bone
Woman!
Where ...
Who cares ...?
The mu ... ...
The woman ...
Who ... who cares ...
You ...
You ...
kill... kill.... lion...
Ponme ... here ...
Where are the Indians?
Did you find their village?
And no one was there.
The leg ...is poisoned.
When the poison reaches here ...
We must chop the leg off.
You are afraid.
I also am afraid.
But I would rather live than die, little woman.
Now, get more rabbit skin..
and some ...
Hurry up woman!...you want me to die?
Go ..
Go ..
Bring rum.
That is all..
No matter,
it is enough.
Anyway ...
After this you won't have to worry
bout Jean La Bete gettin' drunk no more
You must cut here
below the knee.
When you finish..
get hot coal from
fire and burn wound,
then wrap 'em tied
in rabbit skin.
You must do this alone.
Get ax.
Hurry women,
You want me chop leg by myself?
Go ..
go ... Go!
bring me the stool,
put it there.
A man with one leg
should look good in San Francisco.
Eve,
help me.
Here,
here.
Now ...
Eve, now.
Now.
Yes ..
For the love of God ... Now!
Woman!
Have you wrap...
.. wrapped the leg yet?
There ...
food there
meat.
Damn you woman ...
You let the fire go out ...
Tomorrow ...
I must teach you to...
to hunt ...
for ...
for..f..food.
When I'm a man
I'll take me a wife
We'll live in a house
on the hill, the hill
With a carriage and horses,
all white, all white
And she will have diamond ...
... and pearls.
And she will have diamond and pearls.
Seven?
Good.
Tomorrow you can get the ones
from the other valley.
These geese are smart.
Smarter than us I think.
They only come here when
the snow is gone.
And last winter ...
last winter was very long.
Eve.
Come here.
Please.
Eve.
You never talk ...
Sometime Jean La Bete forgets
that you have a name.
Eve,
is a good name too.
If it were not for Eve ...
then Jean La Bete would be dead.
When there was nothing but pain...
..she was there to comfort him.
And when ...
when the cold snow come and ..
and the cabin froze
...then she was there
to keep him warm.
and to feed him.
Eve ...
Eve ...
Jean La Bete and could not
now live without you.
Eve ...
Eve ...
Eve, What's wrong?
Eve!
Eve ...
What's the matter?
Woman!
Woman, listen!
I am not some Indian who
tried to take your mother!
Eve ...
Eve!
Eve.
Eve.
No, Eve!
Eve!
Eve! Where are you going?
Eve, come back!
Eve!
Alright then!
Jean La Bete will find another woman!
Someone who won't make him feel
ashamed because he wants to be married!
Eve.
Eve ... !
When we got her home she lay abed
other two months,
still as death.
It was like ...
something in her heart had gone dead.
Something we couldn't touch.
And she lost the child she was carrying.
We nearly lost her
her, too.
I never thought we'd see her wed.
Ah, poor child.
The wife's making
her a wedding dress.
The least she can do, I guess.
Eve.
Still can't believe it.
this time tomorrow..
we'll be starting a
whole new life together,
you and me,
and one day,
one day you just watch,
we'll have a big white house on Nob Hill,
with a chandelier to hang in every
room.
We will,
you'll see.
I love you Evie.
Evie.
Have you ever really shot it?
I mean really at bear or
something like that?
I bet you have.
And I bet you lived in a
real log cabin too, didn't you?
Just you and him, all alone
in the middle of the forest.
That must be how you lived.
And it must have been terribly cold too.
I bet it was, wasn't it?
What on earth did you eat?
I mean you can't eat raw meat all the time.
That's enough.
But suppose he comes right in
the middle of the preacher marring them.
He won't be coming.
- Is he really dead, Evie, is he?
- I said that's enough.
Perhaps she killed him herself
You did Evie?
Please let us know, I mean nobody
would blame you, not for killing him.
Sarah, that will do!
But I want to know!
Did you kill him, Evie?
Please let us know!
Did you, did you,
did you, did you?
Will you be quiet?
All right.
My husband will come and fetch you
in a few minutes.
Is she alright?
All right?
Well, you know how women are
getting married and all ..they..
She didn't tell me.
- Is she ready?
- Yes
Good. Well...
Come along then... ladies.
Eve, they're waiting for us.
Evie.
Eve!
Eve!
Eve, come back!
Eve!
These sell well in San Francisco.
Go
Clean the house!
When I'm a man
I'll take me a wife
We will live in a house
on the hill, the hill
With carriage and horses,
all white, all white
And she will have diamond
and pearls, and pearls
And she will have diamond and pearls.