roulette-27406 Reviews

Marie-Anne (1978)

This story is about the first woman to live at a trading post in the Canadian wilderness

[10/10 · 30 April 2015]

The 10 rating I chose is due mainly to the story which I loved, but the movie to me was well done as well. I could watch it over and over again. The story starts out about Jean-Baptiste who is one of the post manager's most valuable employees and friends. Jean gets a letter that his mother has died and that he must journey home to settle her estate. He goes and while there, his minister convinces him that he should stay and take a wife. He ends up marrying Ann Marie who worked as a servant to the minister. Jean finds living back in civilization difficult and longs to return to Canada and the post. Ann Marie out of love urges him to go, and she goes with him. Along the way, they have to winter with a friendly tribe of Indians, and she gives birth to a baby while there. Come spring they complete the journey. The post manager is very happy to have Jean back but very upset that he brought a woman with him, and wants him to send her back; but first Jean must go on an important trip. While he is gone, the Chief of a tribe living outside the fort takes a liking to Marie and wants her for a wife. I can't remember if it's for his son or for himself. Marie manages to get the Chief to understand that she has a husband, and in her culture she can have no other. The chief out of respect for her courage then performs a ceremony making her his daughter. Jean returns from his trip and finds out that because Marie is now the chief's daughter, she can't be made to go and so happily his wife and child will be staying with him. There is also a sub plot about an Indian girl who was Jean's lover before he left, and who at first causes trouble for Marie, but she manages to win her over as a friend. The character Marie was a very brave, loving, hardy, and capable woman who can only be admired for who she was. All in all, a great story about a pioneer woman. In addition, I discovered on Wikipedia that Jean and Marie were real people making this movie a historical one. Also, Marie Ann became known as "the grandmother of the red river".