On Foreign Service: A Weird Trip Through The Lens

Is it worth your time?

Honestly, only if you are the kind of person who gets a kick out of watching 1920s travelogues or old-school documentary scraps. If you want a story, keep walking. You’ll probably hate it if you need dialogue, character arcs, or a point to the whole thing.

It feels like stumbling into an attic and finding a box of unorganized film reels. One minute you’re watching elephants in India, and the next you’re watching a bullfight in Portugal. There’s zero connective tissue.

Oddly specific moments

The pacing is entirely up to the editor’s mood that day. Some shots of the military parades go on so long I started looking around my own living room just to find something else to look at. Why are they still marching? We get it, they have uniforms.

The bullfighting segment is actually kind of jarring compared to the rest of it. It doesn't shy away from the brutality, which feels very different from the polite tone of the other segments. It hits you harder than you expect.

I couldn't help but think about how much this resembles the chaotic energy found in Two Arabian Knights, even though they aren't the same thing at all. It’s just that restless spirit of moving from place to place.

Sometimes the camera operator just seems to stop moving entirely. You can feel them getting tired of following the action. It’s not polished, but it’s real.

• The elephants look bored.
• The military marches feel like they were filmed on a loop.
• The music choice is... well, it’s a choice.
• I’m pretty sure I saw the same extra in two different countries.

It’s not a film you analyze. It’s a film you just sort of absorb until you’re done. Don't look for hidden meanings here. It’s just footage of people and animals doing things a long time ago. Sometimes that’s enough, I guess. 🐘