Iron Road

I wouldn't pretend that this is the best film/mini series I've ever see but I believe one reviewer was off on the harsh criticism this film was given. The reviewer even mistakenly names an actor that wasn't even in the film but that is not the point. Having seen this film you are transported to another time and into the heart of a struggling nation looking to find it's way. The story and characters are interesting and developed enough to keep one glued to their couch. This may not be art cinema at it's very best but it is none the less an educational and entertaining film that is beautifully and artistically moving.The actors are gifted and the writing while not the best doesn't take away from the overall story. And who can go wrong watching the great Peter O'toole on screen again!

If there was any doubt about the CBC's tragic decline into meaninglessness, this ghastly farce of a movie puts it to rest. To begin, it's obviously a cynical ploy to craft a vehicle that can be sold to Asian TV. The plot, such as it is, is absurd. The employment of Hollywood stars such as Sam Neil and Peter O'Toole is an insulting vote of non confidence in Canadian actors. Errors are rampant. There were no self-igniting wooden matches in the period depicted. Proper usage for Canada and for the era is RAILWAY and not RAILROAD. Blasting at the time was done with nitro glycerine, not powder. CBC distinguished itself and Canada several years ago with its TV adaptation of Pierre Berton's "The National Dream." Why would it want to eradicate the high standard it set then with this absurd third rate pastiche of sex and kung fu.

Not long ago, I was watching Cecil B. DeMille's film UNION PACIFIC and started thinking that they should make a new film about building the Canadian railroad. Sure, we have Pierre Burton's THE NATIONAL DREAM but that to me seemed too documentary like and lacked a human element like UNION PACIFIC. I also thought it would be good to have a large part of the plot involve the Chinese contribution. About a month later, I heard about a project called IRON ROAD that was nearly ready to air on CBC. Needless to say, I anticipated this miniseries. After seeing it, it held some similarities to UNION PACIFIC: the romantic element, the sense of urgency to get the railroad done, etc. Even Barbara Stanwyck's Irish accent is echoed by Ian Tracy who plays a villain to rival the best Lloyd Bochner or Kenneth Welsh villain. The movie was not what I expected but it was entertaining. Betty Sun's character Little Tiger is one of the strongest female characters I have seen in a while. A 19th century Chinese woman with her skills (martial arts, explosives expertise, psychology) would be truly amazing. Couple that with the fact that she refuses to be Luke MacFarlane's Celestrial mistress makes her a heroine par excellence. Betty Sun gives a forceful performance as does MacFarlane, an actor many Americans will know as Scotty Wandell from "Brothers and Sisters". The miniseries does connect to this dynamic era in Canadian history but should have universal appeal with its handsome stars, romantic subplots, mystery, martial arts action, and cliffhanging (literally, at times) suspense. It is the NATIONAL DREAM doubled. It deals with two nations' dreams: Canadian pioneers' dream to unite their country by rail and Chinese immigrants' dream to make a good life for its citizens, free from gangsters and corrupt leaders. The Chinese workers dealt with poor wages (the Irish workers made twice as much as them), dangerous conditions (working with short fused dynamite), political prejudice like the exorbitant head tax they had to pay after the railroad was built. Despite this, they saw potential in this new land and their efforts will never be forgotten, thanks to movies like this.

In 1882 British Columbia, Alfred Nichol (Sam Neill) is desperate to get Chinese labor as he falls behind crossing the Rocky Mountains. He sends his son James to Hong Kong to gather 2000 workers in one week before Chinese New Year. Their sickly drunken contact Lionel Relic (Peter O'Toole) is having trouble. Little Tiger is an orphan girl passing as a boy. She sells fireworks and learns explosives from the master. She befriends Lionel but James refuses to take her. They battle gangster Lei Mo over workers. Tiger recruits the last 100. Lionel is killed and James takes her fearing for her life. She starts out as the tea boy and volunteers to crawl in after a cave-in to set explosive charges. She starts falling for James despite her secret identity and his girlfriend Melanie Grant (Charlotte Sullivan).

This is a functional love story weaving in the historical drama. Sun Li and Luke Macfarlan are surprisingly good despite being relative unknowns. She's able to shine and he's able to stay in the picture despite having to compete against some A level talents. O'Toole is in the first part. He's a frail man but he still brings it. Both the English and Chinese actors are very professional. The production value is limited. At least, they have a real train and a tunnel. The Hong Kong set looks very fake. They probably built it in Canada which explains it. It's a solid TV mini-series.

I'll admit that I didn't have very high expectations for this film because honestly, the Canadian film industry simply does not get enough funding and support to develop a lot of good movies.

But when I started watching Iron Road I was taken by surprise: the cinematography and art direction are unexpectedly beautiful, and the appearance of veteran actors like Sam Neill and Peter O'Toole gave gravity to the story. I found myself intrigued by the story and I eagerly followed it through both parts on CBC. True, the story is a bit predictable; true, there are some unrealistic elements and some inaccuracies; true, there could have been more focus towards the historical premise of the film (the exploitation of the Chinese). But when I considered it as a film for entertainment, I found it to be remarkably good in that aspect. I felt that a lot of story was told in a limited amount of time, and I was especially charmed by the performances of the two leads (Sun Li and Luke MacFarlane). MacFarlane brought genuine kindness and tenderness to his role, and Li played her character with exceptional strength and conviction. Tony Leung Ka Fai's excellent performance is also worth noting. If nothing else, this film is carried by the strength of its actors.

Overall: while Iron Road may not be as epic and profound as it could have been, I think the creators did a lot with very little time and succeeded in creating a small, but moving, dramatized excerpt from Canadian history.