Really Surprised!

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

Of course you expect any movie with Robert Duvall to be excellent but even the actors who have not been seen before are outstanding. Not a misstep anywhere. The story continues to surprise without giving anything away and the filming, lighting, sound...all top notch. Over too soon for me.

"Broken Trail" is among the very best open range Western films ever made. The scenery always recommends such films for audience enjoyment, and this wonderful TV series is no exception. The filming was in Alberta, Canada, near Calgary. Canada and parts of the Great Plains states still have some expanses where such movies can be made without modern obstructions in view. The cast for this mini-series film is excellent. I know it's not accurate to say so, but it seems as though Robert Duvall couldn't make a bad movie if he wanted to. Surely, not a Western. Duvall's realistic portrayal of cattle drive owner and foreman, Prentice Ritter, is splendid. This is the best role I've seen Thomas Church play. He's excellent in his quiet role as Ritter's top hand, trusty friend and long-time associate.The rest of the case are all very good in their roles. The cinematography, scenery, and technical aspects of this two-part film help make it a very enjoyable movie. It's a very good look at what the West must surely have been like.

I started watching this miniseries while channel surfing, missing a good portion of the first part. I was instantly absorbed in the story, and had to get the DVD to see the whole thing.Besides the well written story line, the casting was excellent, giving us characters that created a great chemistry together (and some great bad guys, as well).The storyline may have more realistic if it was set a few years earlier: in 1898, you didn't go around hanging thieves or getting into too many gunfights! Also, the reason for going to the trouble of having virgin sex slaves wasn't explained; even the (somewhat creepy) character of Capt. Billy Fender said that he didn't know why some people preferred virgins, and that he liked women who knew what they were doing. The real reason that men would pay a great deal of money to have sex with virgins back then is that it was thought to be a cure for sexually transmitted diseases (especially syphilis). Before antibiotics, syphilis was no joke: about two years after contact (in the third stage) syphilis begins to attack the heart, brain, and nerves, slowly killing those who suffer from the disease. This may have been too much information to add to the story line, but would have definitely added to the horror of what was in store for the girls if they had been delivered to a brothel.Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed "Broken Trail". I give it a rating of 9/10, and would definitely recommend it to others.

I didn't know anything about Broken Trail until I saw that Robert Duvall and Thomas Haden Church were nominated for Golden Globes for their performances in the film. I am a real Duvall fan and his performances in all the stages of his life - To Kill A Mockingbird and The Great Santini being two of my all-time favorites - and now comes the pleasure of his performance in Broken Trail.Certainly not to be overlooked is Thomas Haden Church. His portrayal of a hardened ranch hand at loose ends is striking in that it shows us a man who can kill without regret possessed by the ability to love deeply.The story is a pretty standard Western. Duvall and Church are running a herd of horses to market in order to garner enough funds to invest in land and settle down. Along the way, they happen upon a group of Chinese girls who have been sold into slavery and are being delivered to a brothel. As stated, it's been done before but probably never better than in this version.There is action, but acting and character are paramount. In the special features on the DVD, the director states the decision to not have any of the girls speak English, thus all of the communication is through facial expression and body language. And that communication is a beautiful example of superior acting.This film was produced by American Movie Classics cable network. It can be added to the lineup of cable networks that provide the outlet for films that would never be produced by the big movie companies, but are able to supply the funds to make the production value of such films a small step up from most independent films created on shoestring budgets.Broken Trail provides the opportunity for a movie lover to sit back, enjoy a good story, and relish in excellent acting talents headed by Duvall and Church. I guarantee you will enjoy all three hours of it.