Made specifically for IMAX, Rocky Mountain Express is majestically presented. The cinematography is simply spectacular and the incredible Canadian landscape lends itself so readily to the IMAX experience. This documentary from filmmaker Stephen Low is very impressive visually, and the story it tells of the building of the Rocky Mountain railway is quite fascinating.
Low utilises sweeping aerial photography combined with footage from the restored train and historical photographs to tell the story of building the Canadian Pacific Railway. The building of the railway was a massive undertaking; landslides, avalanches, extreme weather just a few of the hardships faced by the workers and engineers. At some points the terrain was so impenetrable the teams were lucky to make up a few feet of track a day, and the railway saw the deaths of 6 men per mile of track laid. There was political and personal pressure for the surveyors. This film follows roughly the chronology of the construction of the track.
Unfortunately there is simply not enough of this film. The running time is less than an hour, so it seems like it may have been made with a television audience in mind. The history which this film brings to light seems to be just the surface layer, and much more could be made of individuals who contributed to the building of the railway and their personal stories. The narrator mentions the conceits of some individuals, poor decisions made to serve the egos of the overly ambitious, but these interesting details are not explored.
The material within the film is not new to cinema, railway stories have been the sources for many Hollywood movies, a particular staple for the Western genre. Sergio Leone’s epic Once Upon a Time in the West and the more contemporary television series Hell on Wheels are standouts as texts which use the building of the railway, and those hardships, as the context for the narrative. Surely the rich history of the Canadian Pacific Railway can offer more than the mere 50 minutes of this film, particularly if, as the film claims, this railway was instrumental in shaping the nation of Canada itself.
Much more could be made of the fascinating history of the Canada Pacific Railway, particularly how the railway impacted Canada. The comment is made during the film that while the train served the community, so too many communities were built around serving the train, yet there is no further discussion of these communities. But despite the lack of depth to this film, it is enjoyable simply for the splendid images of such a beautiful part of the world.
Rocky Mountain Express is showing in IMAX cinemas from 26 March.
