Checking out With the Navies of the World: A strange little time capsule

Is it worth your time?

If you're a fan of history or just get a kick out of seeing massive, clunky iron ships from a century ago, you'll probably dig this. If you’re looking for an actual story or something that moves faster than a tugboat, skip it.

I stumbled onto With the Navies of the World while I was looking for something entirely different. It’s definitely not a movie in the traditional sense. It’s more like a visual list of things that float.

The experience

There isn't a plot here to dissect. You get a lot of shots of sailors standing in rows, looking very serious and stiff. I found myself wondering if they were actually doing anything or just waiting for the cameraman to pack up his gear. The pacing is completely non-existent, which is fine, but don't expect to be glued to the edge of your seat.

It reminded me a bit of the disjointed energy you find in The Great Day. Both films feel like they were assembled by someone who just had a bunch of film strips sitting on a desk and decided to glue them together. It lacks a heartbeat, but it has this weird, detached charm.

• The ships look like they were made of sheet metal and pure stubbornness.
• The uniforms are so clean it’s actually distracting.
• There's a weird lack of water movement in some shots, like the ships are just hovering.

There is a specific moment where a sailor trips over a rope in the background of a wide shot. It’s blink-and-you-miss-it, but it’s the most human thing in the whole reel. Everything else is so polished and official.

I’ve seen weirder stuff in my time, like The Man Who, which at least tries to tell a story while being totally bizarre. This one just stares at you. It’s a bit like looking at a collection of stamps, I guess. You appreciate the craftsmanship, but you don't really want to spend all afternoon with it.

Would I watch it again? Probably not. Is it a fun way to waste ten minutes while eating lunch? Sure. It’s just footage of boats, man. Sometimes that’s enough. ⚓