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6.6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Rainbow Trail remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Honestly, only if you are a completionist for 1930s Zane Grey adaptations. If you need snappy dialogue or characters that actually feel like real people, skip it.
It’s for the folks who like their movies dusty, black-and-white, and full of people squinting into the sun. If you prefer modern pacing, this will feel like it’s being dragged by a horse at a slow trot.
Watching this felt a bit like finding an old, water-stained book in a barn. It’s got that specific kind of texture—all grit and shadows and horses that look way more tired than the actors.
George O'Brien is doing his best, but there's a stiffness to the whole thing that makes the emotional beats land with a thud. It’s not bad, just very, very old-fashioned in a way that doesn't always age well.
There’s a lot of running around searching for people who clearly don't want to be found. It reminds me a bit of the aimless energy in The Interferin' Gent, where everyone is busy, but nobody is really going anywhere important.
It lacks the weird, charming spark of something like Come Clean. It’s just... a Western. It hits the marks, it checks the boxes, and then it ends.
The dialogue is painfully literal. If someone is sad, they say, "I am feeling quite sad today." No subtext. No mystery. Just straight-up announcements of feelings.
I kept waiting for a moment that didn't feel scripted, but it never really came. Still, there is something honest about how plain it is. It isn't trying to be high art. It’s just a movie about a guy in a big hat looking for his kin. 🤠
Don't look for deep meaning here. You won't find it. Just watch the horses and wait for the end.