In the eye of the beholder
Earlier this week, I watched the first half of a CBC docu-drama that revisited what has become known as the Oka crisis. I will be forced to miss the second section, but given that this is based on history, I at least know how it all “turned out”. Not as hard on a person as when the power fails during a first-run movie…
We had first-to-second hand contact with that long summer in the Pines, as our next door neigbour was there, all through the day, all through the night, all through the vacation. The daily news reports had some “meaning” for those in our neighbourhood, and his visit home with the tactical van with a chance to touch the tactical armour and sense the tactical drama won’t be forgotten by any of us.
The wonderful thing about anything CBC touches is that the bad parts just disappear in the edits. Oh sure, the stock footage of a police cruiser riding up the road on its side, powered by a front-end loader seem “bad”, but all the rest of it seem to come from a kinder gentler time.
How can we forget the skillful manner of Boo-Boo the Chief of the White Guys Bourassa; say nothing, do nothing, much like a tribute to three Chinese monkeys? How can we forget the gentle words of the Mohawks, from whatever community of the Nations. No profanity, ever. No confrontation, just stoic watchfullness.
I appreciate that the Hon. Mr. Ciaccia did write a book which fed the screenplay. He was there for a good part of the show. I just find that CBC made it all too easy, in retrospect. No spleen on display here.
