Review: R.A.F. (1935) is a dusty, weirdly charming time capsule

If you are obsessed with old biplanes or want to see young British guys in incredibly high-waisted shorts looking very serious, yes, watch R.A.F. today. Anyone else will probably find it dry as dust and want to turn it off after five minutes.

It is basically a short 1930s promotional film about the Royal Air Force. No plot, just vibes and very loud engine noises. ✈️

The narrator, W. Helmore, has that ultra-posh British voice that sounds like he is speaking through a cardboard tube. It is honestly the best part.

"The air is our element," he says, while some poor teenager tries to climb into a cockpit without tripping over his own giant leather boots.

There is a surprisingly long sequence where they show the recruits doing gymnastics. They are all wearing these white outfits that look incredibly scratchy and uncomfortable.

It feels less like military prep and more like a very stressful school sports day. One guy in the back keeps losing his balance during a leg stretch, and they just left it in the final cut.

I kept thinking of Don't Get Nervous because of how shaky the aerial camera gets during the flight shots. You can practically feel the freezing wind rattling the camera operator's hands.

The planes themselves are beautiful, though. These flimsy looking things made of wood and fabric that look like they could be knocked down by a heavy sneeze.

You wonder how anyone agreed to go up in them. Especially when you see a mechanic spinning a giant wooden propeller by hand to start the engine.

He does it with so much casual disregard for his own fingers, it make me flinch a little bit.

Unlike the high-energy American propaganda stuff from the same era, like 'G' Men, this film has a very slow, sleepy rhythm. It is just engines roaring and the narrator explaining spark plugs.

The film ends very suddenly too. No big patriotic speech, just a quick fade to black after some planes fly in a slightly crooked V-shape.

If you like old history footage, it is a neat little time capsule to zone out to. Otherwise, you can easily skip this one.