Released: 11th November 2018 (UK-Wide Release)
Length: 100 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Director: Peter Jackson
With footage few and far between, it’s often difficult to fully capture the horror and context of the First World War, despite countless nations holding remembrance ceremonies each year on November 11th. Released for free via BBC2 in the UK to mark the centenary of the end of World War One, They Shall Not Grow Old is a powerful recollection of those who lost their lives and lived the experience of the conflict.
To make the film, Peter Jackson and Wingnut retrieved old war footage both in and out of the Western Front trenches, slowed down the speed shot-by-shot, converted it to 3D and finally remastered it in full colour. In addition, they also went the extra mile, recreating sounds of the battlefield authentically and pouring in the research to match soldiers in the footage with voices of survivors. At least 25 veterans of World War One narrate the proceedings, delivering a wide array of different perspectives from soldiers who hid their age to join the army to tank operators sent to attack the opposing trenches. While at first, the black-and-white footage grounds the setting and time period, the magical moment is when it seamlessly transitions into full colour.
The result is a carefully crafted retelling of the war; in vivid detail, we’re taken through every aspect of the soldier’s war from recruitment to returning home. The huge array of archived soundbites, interviews and discussions by veterans deliver a staggering amount of detail and understanding. You come to understand both the attitudes to war at the time and how the soldier’s view of the war changed drastically once they got into the fighting. This is where the emotional core of the film lies, a tone that changes from hopeful and adventurous to tragic and unrelentingly bleak, mirroring the sentiment of the time. By running on this established narrative, They Shall Not Grow Old provides an unprecedented look into what being a soldier in 1914 was like, but also instils a knowledge of how horrific and pointless the war really was. For me, the most emotional moment came when the British soldiers started talking to German prisoners and understood that they really weren’t enemies at all. At other points the sheer brutality of trench warfare is laid bare and these moments are equally successful in conveying the hell the soldiers had to fight in.
They Shall Not Grow Old is essential viewing, be it now or for future generations who look back. It appears to be a simple production at first glance, but the monumental amount of work needed to collate, restore and colourise the footage plants the film among most effective and moving recounts of World War One. Peter Jackson’s enormous passion for the time period shows, as he dedicates the film to his great-grandfather and all those who lost their lives; it’s a truly remarkable tribute.
Rating: 5/5 Stars (Exceptional)
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