Review of The Donner Party

As an historical movie I found it very interesting as I was not overly knowledgeable of the events that took place in the Donner Party. As a movie drama, it left much to be desired. The movie starts out with the group trapped in winter in the mountains. Unable to figure out how to eat tree bark, they hunt food and apparently have killed the very last bear hibernating in a cave. William Eddy, the hunter tracker takes half the meat for his family and leaves the other half for those under Foster's care. As the food disappears, they find out that there is no rescue party coming for them. A group sets out by foot to go to California, get a rescue party and return for the rest held up in a cabin. After four days of travel, the food runs out and everyone is hungry enough to each other. In fact they draw sticks and shoot the man with the shortest stick, then eat him. A dark comedy moment is inserted in the story as the cannibals struggle to say "grace" for their meal..."Dear God, we thank you, Amen." The camera shots are not as gruesome as one would think. The reference to eating people is watered down to sayings like, "We have to do what is necessary." I find the R rating a bit overboard. No sex or nudity. The acting was plain.