Canoe trips and old celluloid: A look at Glimpses of a Canoe Trip

Is it worth your time?

Honestly, only if you’re a sucker for grainy, silent footage of guys in woolen trousers trying to look rugged. If you’re looking for a tight narrative, you’ll probably find this about as exciting as watching paint dry on a log. But if you’re a fan of unfiltered, weirdly specific historical artifacts, it’s a weirdly charming little watch.

It’s just F.R. Crawley and his pals, doing the canoe thing. There’s no dramatic tension, no big stakes, just a lot of paddling and adjusting hats.

The vibe is... very quiet

The whole thing feels like you’ve stumbled upon a forgotten reel in someone’s dusty attic. There’s a scene where they’re portaging the canoes that lasts way longer than it needs to. You can see the exact moment they realize they’re tired of being filmed.

They don't have the manic energy of Hot Luck. It’s all very polite and Canadian, I guess.

• The way they manage to keep their shirts tucked in while wrestling a canoe through mud is impressive.
• The water looks freezing, yet they seem remarkably unbothered.
• The lighting is either 'blinding white' or 'deep shadow'. No in-between.

It’s not trying to be The Great Deception. Thank goodness for that. Sometimes it’s nice when a movie is just about a trip, and nothing else.

I found myself wondering if they ever actually caught any fish. They spend a lot of time holding rods, but the camera never seems interested in the catch. Maybe they were just hungry and gave up.

It’s a strange, tiny piece of history. 🛶