The film opens with its footage of Buddhist shrines, but goes on to focus upon the tea trade. It acknowledges the fact that the tea workers ‘are all Tamils from southern India’, but fails to mention their differing religious belief. Instead, climate provides the contrast that links the two strands of the film. It is argued that the ancient Buddhist shrines have been preserved because they are in the dry lowlands; in contrast the ‘damp upland climate […] makes possible the large-scale cultivation of tea’. This link appears forced, and the Monthly Film Bulletin was right to argue that this film would be more satisfactory if it were ‘divided into two parts’ (MFB, 1936, 73).

It is interesting to note the differing ways in which Monsoon Island and Song of Ceylon utilise the same film sources. In Monsoon Island Buddhism is presented as an ancient religion. The commentary discusses the ‘highly developed civilisation that flourished in Ceylon from about the second century B.C.’, but it also describes this civilisation as being something that has passed: it has ‘left evidence in the ruins’ of the Buddhist temples and statues that are featured on screen. These religious monuments are filmed in slow, lingering detail. At no point is Buddhism considered to be a living religion, and at no point are worshippers to be seen. Song of Ceylon uses its images of Buddhas and temples differently. They are used dynamically, often casting only fleeting images on the screen. They are also populated: sometimes with intercut shots of worshippers and dancers filmed elsewhere, at others times we see believers who make offerings and prayers. There are also significant structural differences between the two films. Monsoon Island places its portrait of Buddhism at the beginning of its film, and then moves on to the modernity of the tea industry. In Song of Ceylon Buddhism is featured circularly, appearing most prominently in the films opening and closing segments. As well as implying continuity, this pattern has deeper significance. Wright claimed that the film is structured as ‘a magic circle, the Buddhist mandala’ (Thomas, 1979, 481).

There are also significant differences in the way that the two films portray the tea trade. Monsoon Island follows a pattern that can be seen in other sponsored films. Tea production is shown in sequential order. There is a detailed focus on the processes taking place: figures are given for the acreage under plantation; the length of time it takes to grow the crops; the time period for which tea should be left to wither. Meanwhile, a discrete amount of information is given regarding the workers – we hear about the sexual segregation of the work and of how the women are paid in relation to the amount of tea that they pick. However, the implications of these practices are never addressed. Song of Ceylon features much of the same film material, which is gathered together continuously in the third section of the film, entitled ‘The Voice of Commerce’. The scenes are not shown in chronological order and neither are the processes outlined. ‘The Voice of Commerce’ was, in fact, the most controversial aspect of Wright’s film, in which his ‘ambivalence towards British imperialism’ was most clearly highlighted (Russell, 2007, 188). Here the images of the tea workers are accompanied by the sound of discordant radio waves and British voices calling out trading prices. It is this juxtaposition of sound that delivers Song of Ceylon’s message, rather than the way in which the scenes are filmed.

Indeed, there is nothing in the way in which the footage of plantation workers is shot that would help to undermine its use for tea marketing propaganda. Brian Winston claims that the footage was shot half-heartedly ‘one morning’, and that the process of filming this material gave Basil Wright a headache (Winston, 2008, 45). The workers aren’t focussed upon in any great detail (instead the concentration is upon the processes), and the plantation looks orderly and efficient. As such, in Monsoon Island the footage is used to outline a positive, if fairly pedestrian, account of the industry.

Richard Osborne (February 2010)