Hell On Wheels is a little gem all neatly tucked away on TCM. It tells the story of the building of the Union Pacific Railroad, well a part of it, and the titular Hell On Wheels is the moving town that follows its progress.
Into town rides Cullen Bohannon (Anson Mount), an ex Confederate hunting for the Union soldiers who killed his wife. OK, nothing really new there; and there is nothing really new about the Bohannon character. He is a man of few words, so much so that he makes Josey Wales seem like Graham Norton. But Anson Mount gives him a dark intensity and you find yourself on his side. But the real stand out performance is Colm Meaney's Durant, the greedy railway man whose motivation is far from philanthropic, he only wants the Governments sixteen thousand dollars a mile of track laid, and he will get it done anyway possible. Durant is the villain and Meaney sinks his teeth firmly into the role. Hell On Wheels can be a little cold hearted and slow paced so the lightness of a good bad guy is welcome.
Also worth mention is Christopher Heyerdahl, who plays Durant's security chief The Swede. He gave a spot on impression of Max Von Sydow and his confrontations with Bohannon, in future episodes, should prove to be interesting.
OK, Hell On Wheels is in no way Deadwood, but it will most certainly help fill the western void that show has left.
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