Checking in on the 1930s with The March of Time

Is it worth your time?

Honestly, unless you have a strange obsession with 1930s news reels, you’re probably going to find this a bit dry. It’s perfect for history nerds or people who like seeing how people used to think the future would look. If you hate black and white footage or narrators who sound like they’re shouting from inside a giant metal tin, definitely skip it. 🎞️

It’s weird to think people were living in trailers full-time back then. The movie treats it like this massive, bold lifestyle change, almost like the tiny house movement but with more mahogany and less Wi-Fi.

Then, suddenly, we’re in Albania. The transition is jarring. One minute you’re looking at a hitch for a camper, the next you’re watching a guy named King Zog try to modernize a country. It’s the kind of whiplash you don't really get in modern documentaries anymore.

The segment on the South and the "slaves of King Cotton" hit differently. It’s blunt. It doesn’t hold your hand. It just shows you the dust, the labor, and the hopelessness, and then it cuts to the next thing before you can really process the misery.

Odd observations:

• The narrator sounds like he’s personally offended by the existence of the cotton industry.
• The trailer segment features a family eating dinner in a space that looks like a glorified coffin.
• The way they talk about Albania makes it sound like a small, exotic board game kingdom.

Watching this made me think about The Bomb Idea in terms of how we package fear and progress. It’s a very different vibe, but there’s that same sense of "look at what humans are doing now!" that feels both impressive and kind of terrifying.

Sometimes the film feels like it’s trying to be a serious history lesson, but then it’ll linger on a shot of a fancy trailer wheel for no reason. It’s distracting. You start wondering if the camera operator just really liked the wheel design. 🤷‍♂️

It’s not a narrative film, obviously. You won’t find a plot twist here unless you count the geopolitical instability of the Balkans. It’s just stuff happening, recorded on film, preserved in a box for decades.

It’s a strange, dusty little watch. Probably best enjoyed with a strong coffee and a complete lack of plans for the rest of the afternoon.