They Shall Not Grow Old
Peter Jackson directs this WWI documentary featuring never-before-seen black-n-white footage that's been digitally coloured to commemorate the centennial of the war's end.
"Driven by a personal interest in the First World War, Jackson set out to bring to life the day-to-day experience of its soldiers. Using the voices of the men involved, the film explores the reality of war on the front line; their attitudes to the conflict; how they ate; slept and formed friendships, as well what their lives were like away from the trenches during their periods of downtime. Jackson and his team used cutting edge techniques to make the images of a hundred years ago appear as if they were shot yesterday. The transformation from black and white footage to colourised footage can be seen throughout the film revealing never before seen details." (Official synopsis)
- Director:
- Peter Jackson ('The Lord of the Rings' trilogy, 'The Hobbit' trilogy, 'King Kong')
Reviews & comments
Flicks, Liam Maguren
flicksFeeling heavily enlightened and emotionally shattered during Sir Peter Jackson's They Shall Not Grow Old, I grew to realise a potential double meaning behind the film's title. It's a line from Robert Laurence Binyon's poem For the Fallen which, when used here, reflects the colossal restoration and colouring efforts put in place to house the memories of those who gave their lives to The Great War. It's also a stark reminder of the youth that was robbed of these men.
A Little Chilling
An important piece of restorative work that will make you wince and contemplate how much easier and less burdensome life is particularly if you are a young man but also just as a human. This is a reminder of how brutal and terrifying warfare is and how at its core, are humans carrying out orders but trying their best to uphold morals under the circumstances...
Highly recommend
Excellent film. The narration using entries form actual soldiers diaries makes this a different documentary form others on WW1 - it's not about facts, figures and dates but rather about the human experience. It's also amazing the difference that seeing the men in colour makes - really makes it seem more immediate.
Variety
pressPerhaps surprisingly, with a blockbuster merchant at the helm, little here is rousing or sentimental; the film's mordant intimacy of perspective endures as stoically as the speakers themselves.
The Telegraph
pressIt is an encounter with the past that feels exhilaratingly present-tense.
Stuff
pressThey Shall Not Grow Old, should be lauded ... for not only making history come alive again, but providing a potential template and touchstone for future film-makers and storytellers wanting to look back.
Independent
pressYou might have thought there was nothing new to say about the First World War but Peter Jackson's astonishing and revelatory new feature documentary comes at the subject in a way no previous film, book or play has ever done.
Hollywood Reporter
pressNothing feels too sentimentalised or sanitised, but nor is it sensationalised for extra shock value either. These are the true accounts of survivors, after all, mostly talking decades after the events and grateful to be alive.
Empire Magazine
pressAn emotionally rich documentary that wows both as a technical achievement and an unforgettable portrait of a terrible period of 20th century history.
Flicks, Liam Maguren
flicksFeeling heavily enlightened and emotionally shattered during Sir Peter Jackson's They Shall Not Grow Old, I grew to realise a potential double meaning behind the film's title. It's a line from Robert Laurence Binyon's poem For the Fallen which, when used here, reflects the colossal restoration and colouring efforts put in place to house the memories of those who gave their lives to The Great War. It's also a stark reminder of the youth that was robbed of these men.
Variety
pressPerhaps surprisingly, with a blockbuster merchant at the helm, little here is rousing or sentimental; the film's mordant intimacy of perspective endures as stoically as the speakers themselves.
The Telegraph
pressIt is an encounter with the past that feels exhilaratingly present-tense.
Stuff
pressThey Shall Not Grow Old, should be lauded ... for not only making history come alive again, but providing a potential template and touchstone for future film-makers and storytellers wanting to look back.
Independent
pressYou might have thought there was nothing new to say about the First World War but Peter Jackson's astonishing and revelatory new feature documentary comes at the subject in a way no previous film, book or play has ever done.
Hollywood Reporter
pressNothing feels too sentimentalised or sanitised, but nor is it sensationalised for extra shock value either. These are the true accounts of survivors, after all, mostly talking decades after the events and grateful to be alive.
Empire Magazine
pressAn emotionally rich documentary that wows both as a technical achievement and an unforgettable portrait of a terrible period of 20th century history.
A Little Chilling
An important piece of restorative work that will make you wince and contemplate how much easier and less burdensome life is particularly if you are a young man but also just as a human. This is a reminder of how brutal and terrifying warfare is and how at its core, are humans carrying out orders but trying their best to uphold morals under the...
Highly recommend
Excellent film. The narration using entries form actual soldiers diaries makes this a different documentary form others on WW1 - it's not about facts, figures and dates but rather about the human experience. It's also amazing the difference that seeing the men in colour makes - really makes it seem more immediate.
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