The Call of Mohammed: A Weirdly Dusty Trip Through India

Is this worth the watch?

If you have a weird obsession with silent-era travelogues or just want to see what India looked like before the world got so loud, sure. It’s an odd little time capsule. If you’re looking for a plot, though, stay away. You’ll probably hate it if you need a story to keep you awake.

There isn't really a movie here in the way we usually think about it. It’s mostly Tom Terriss wandering around, looking at things, and pointing a camera at people who are clearly being told to act like mystics. It feels like watching someone’s very, very old vacation slides, but with more snakes.

Speaking of the snakes, those scenes go on for an eternity. The charmers are just sitting there, moving their instruments around, and the camera just refuses to cut away. You start to wonder if the snake is actually going to do something. Spoiler: it doesn't. It just sits there being a snake.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Call of Mohammed (1931) through its definitive frames.

Oddly specific observations

• The way the light hits the dust in the market scenes—it looks like a different planet.
• I swear some of the 'mystics' are just guys who realized they could get a few coins by sitting still and looking grumpy.
• The editing feels like someone was just throwing film strips at a wall and seeing what stuck.

It’s funny how this makes me think of The Lady or even the sheer chaos of Jungle Jam. Not that they have anything to do with India, but they share that same 'we just filmed whatever was in front of us' energy. It’s a scrappy, disjointed feeling that modern documentaries just don't have anymore.

There's this one moment where a train rolls by and it’s surprisingly fast. It’s the only time the movie feels like it’s actually moving. Everything else is just stagnant, hot, and hazy. 🐍

Terriss is a strange host. He’s always sort of there, but not really there. He’s just a set of eyes for the audience. It’s not as polished as his other work, but it’s got a weird charm. It’s definitely not a masterpiece, but it’s not trying to be. It’s just a guy in India with a camera and a lot of patience for reptiles.

I found myself zoning out halfway through. Then a monkey showed up. Then I was awake again. That’s about the level of engagement you’re looking at here.