5th Calcutta Battalion: Presentation of Colours by H.E. The Viceroy

A pictorial record of a significant event in the history of the Indian Army: The Calcutta Battalion of the Indian Defence Force receiving their Colours from the then Viceroy of India, Lord Linlith-Gow. From a modern perspective, it's a brief, non-contextual glimpse of a bygone era, but nevertheless, the original black-and-white visual history is significant and should be interesting to those with an interest in military history or India's journey to Independence. The film is a compilation of short, medium-long shot static set-ups, each documenting the inauguration of the Calcutta Battalion. The then viceroy Linlith-Gow is shown arriving in Calcutta and is greeted by the city's dignitaries. The viceroy inspects a guard of honor and takes the salute of the unit, comprised of lightly-armed infantry, horse-drawn artillery, a scout-motorcycle platoon, and support staff in a procession of foot, horse, and vehicles. The unit comprises an approximately equal contingent of Indian and British personnel. The viceroy makes a speech in honor of the inaugurated battalion before the viceroy and other vested dignitaries are taken in a procession to the grandstand to watch a military display that includes a march-past, drilling, and more speeches before the address. The film ends with the Viceroy waving goodbye to the dignitaries he has conversed with, setting the occasion of his farewell. While the film is useful as a historical record and the military pageantry that is portrayed would probably be of interest to many, there is very low production and visual novelty, which certainly cannot hold the interest of general or modern audiences, especially its lack of color and sound component may be off-putting to modern viewers, but for Indian history enthusiasts or military buffs, this film offers some compelling moments, especially the historical context it holds and the military ceremonies it elucidates through its primitive cinematography. Our rating is 3 out of 5 stars.