"Iron Road" (2008) TV mini-series

Seasons:

1

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The search for her past became part of a nation's future

Plot:

A poor but feisty Chinese woman, disguised as a boy, joins the railroad crew in the Rocky Mountains to search for her long-lost father, and falls in love with the son of the railroad tycoon.

Plot Keywords:

Railroad | Period Piece | Girl Disguised As Boy | TV Mini-Series | Male Nudity

Awards:

4 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Betty Sun	...	Little Tiger (2 episodes, 2009)
Luke Macfarlane	...	James Nichol (2 episodes, 2009)
Sam Neill	...	Alfred Nichol (2 episodes, 2009)
Tony Leung Ka Fai	...	Bookman (2 episodes, 2009)
Kenneth Mitchell	...	Edgar (2 episodes, 2009)
Peter O'Toole	...	Relic (2 episodes, 2009)
Ian Tracey	...	Controller (2 episodes, 2009)
Gao Yun Xiang	...	Wang Ma (2 episodes, 2009)
Serge Houde	...	George Grant (2 episodes, 2009)
Charlotte Sullivan	...	Melanie Grant (2 episodes, 2009)
Zhang Nai Hua	...	Di Hong (2 episodes, 2009)
Zhao Ning Nu	...	Lei Mo (2 episodes, 2009)
Jiang Boning	...	Powder (2 episodes, 2009)
Lisa Bunting	...	Kathryn Nichol (2 episodes, 2009)
Jeffrey Fisher	...	Foreman (2 episodes, 2009)
Charmaine Grey	...	Frances Grant (2 episodes, 2009)
Barry Pearson	...	Yale Doctor (2 episodes, 2009)

Runtime:

Canada:95 min (theatrical version)

Country:

Canada | China

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

Australia:M | Netherlands:12 | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia)

Filming Locations:

British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)

Surprisingly Good

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.