Charming Ceylon (1934) is a weird, bright time machine

Is this worth your ten minutes?

Honestly, if you like looking at old footage where the colors look like they were painted on with a thick brush, yes. If you want a deep story, you are in the wrong place.

History nerds will love the 1930s vibes. People who get annoyed by old-fashioned colonial narrators will probably want to mute the volume after two minutes.

I found this while looking for something short to watch while eating toast. It is one of those James A. FitzPatrick 'Traveltalks' things.

The first thing you notice is the Technicolor. It is so bright.

The green of the trees looks like it belongs in a candy shop. It doesn't look real, but it looks expensive for 1934.

The narrator has this voice that sounds like he is wearing a very tight tuxedo. He talks about 'The Island of Spice' like he's trying to sell you a vacation you can't afford.

There is a scene with elephants bathing in a river. I liked that part the most.

One elephant looks like he is actually smiling at the camera. Or maybe he just wanted to knock the cameraman over.

The movie spends a lot of time looking at people picking tea. It feels a bit invasive, to be honest.

The camera just lingers on their faces while they work. They don't look 'charmed' to be in a movie called Charming Ceylon.

They just look like they want to finish their job. It reminded me a bit of the awkwardness in The Crow's Nest but without the actual plot.

Everything is very clean and curated. You don't see any trash or any real struggle.

It is the 1930s version of an Instagram filter. Everything is perfect because the British Crown was still in charge and they wanted it to look that way.

The music is also very loud. It never stops.

It’s that kind of orchestral stuff that feels like it’s chasing you down a hallway. It gets a bit much after a while.

I noticed a small detail where a guy in the background is just staring at the camera with total confusion. He has no idea what this big machine is doing in his village.

Those are the moments I like. The stuff the director didn't mean to capture.

It’s much more peaceful than something like My Wife's Relations which is just chaos. This is just... slow.

Specific things I noted:

• The water in the river looks strangely blue-grey.
• The narrator says 'And so we leave...' at the end, which is his catchphrase.
• The hats people are wearing are fascinating.
• The film quality is surprisingly sharp for being nearly a century old.

I think I enjoyed the idea of it more than the actual film. It’s like looking at a museum exhibit that talks back to you.

Is it a masterpiece? No. It’s a travel brochure with a pulse.

If you have ten minutes and want to see what Sri Lanka looked like before it was even called Sri Lanka, give it a go. Just don't expect it to be deep.

It's just a vibe. A very old, very colonial, very colorful vibe. 🐘