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.
