BRrrrrrrr

 

It’s been a few cold days, not as cold as out in Alberta, but cold enough although I quite enjoy it…for now. Ask me in March and I will have a different answer. Where I live, in The Niagara Region, we have not received that much snow, sadly, but that might change as we enter February. It made me think of the many movies I have watched that take place in snow or at least, partly, in snow. Let’s get on with it…

1. LOST HORIZON-1937

The wondrous, magical Shangri-La is warm, beautiful, lush, green but surrounded by the very snowy Himalayas. A small group of English and American people get the last flight out of China during a rebellion. Unbeknownst to them, their plane has been hijacked and end up crash landing in the very snowy Himalayas mountains. Except for the pilot, the rest are alive and are soon met by a group of people who lead them through a very treacherous path to the magical Shangri-La. The lead is played by, be still my heart, Ronald Colman with a group that has a conman, a hypochondriac, a terminally ill, cynical woman and Colman’s bratty brother. When they find themselves in this wondrous place, they are dubious except for Colman who finds it mesmerizing including the young lady played by Jane Wyatt. It is a superb film that I can always watch. The snow scenes before and after Shangri-La give a true feel of the cold and the treacherous journey these people had to deal with. It is very well acted and the art direction and cinematography is excellent.

2. JEREMIAH JOHNSON-1972

This is not a typical western because it is more about the true life mountain man, Jeremiah Johnson who wanted to be left alone but, when his Native American wife and son are killed, he goes on a rampage killing many Crow since some Crow were responsible  for the death of his family. Robert Redford starts the film as a naive man who has no clue what nature can do to a man. He meets an old codger, played by Will Greer, who teaches him how to survive and Redford does just that. Redford carries the picture and does it with great aplomb. The film takes place during all seasons but the winter scenes stay with me. I think it is quite underrated and should be known more than it is.

3. WIND RIVER-2017

This is another underrated film that stars Jeremy Renner as a game tracker who comes across the frozen body of a Native American girl. He contacts the FBI who send out a young FBI operative to find the killer. The 2 team up to get to the bottom of this murder. You find out there is more than what meets the eye, of course, in this film. It really makes you think and you love the barren look with the snow taking centre stage. It is a truly good thriller that one should see, at least, once.

What films can you think of that take place in the winter time?