They Shall Not Grow Old

[KLMKsunbunny]

Hi all, I will add this here, although it concerns WW1, i'm sure many here will find it of interest... I am surprised to see no mention of this on any forums, but here you go.. Mods, please move or delete as necessary..

On Tuesday 16th October I went to one of the 250 UK cinemas showing, for one night only, Peter (Lord of the Rings) Jackson's new project "They Shall Not Grow Old". As has been mentioned before on this forum, Peter has a massive personal interest in the First World War, and is an avid collector. He was approached by the Imperial War Museum with a brief to use their WW1 archive footage "...in a new way". As his film company has massive technological resources at his disposal, he decided to see what could be done to restore the grainy old archive footage, as he puts it "the sped up Charlie Chaplin like figures", and bring it into the 21st Century, so that audiences could engage with it in a modern way.


The footage has been brought into sharp focus, and in higher definition, and has been recoloured. A new soundtrack intended to be as close as possible to the original sounds of the battlefield was added, and finally, the voices of the veterans (interviewed in the 1960's), were weaved in to tell the story of the individual soldier's experience on the Western Front 1914-18.

As someone who saw it on the big screen, the effect was incredible. Those soldiers from 100 years ago look like they were filmed yesterday. Their humanity, from the humour of the early days of the war, to the despair as the war progressed was immediately much more tangible, and very moving. The horrors of the trenches aren't shied away from either; it's now possible to see the effects of "Trench Foot" very clearly, and as the camera panned across the corpses in the mud it was now possible to see the flies moving across a dead man's lips. This wasn't for shock value, but to show the daily lives of the men. I can highly recommend seeing it if you can. I gather it may be shown on UK tv sometime soon...?

https://www.1418now.org.uk/commissio...peter-jackson/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHYRfukHToc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdY-1u-rk_M

[Tom B]

Thank you for posting this ! Very interesting ! Tom

[Seigfried]

Hi all, I will add this here, although it concerns WW1, i'm sure many here will find it of interest... I am surprised to see no mention of this on any forums, but here you go.. Mods, please move or delete as necessary..

On Tuesday 16th October I went to one of the 250 UK cinemas showing, for one night only, Peter (Lord of the Rings) Jackson's new project "They Shall Not Grow Old".

Many thanks for posting along with your review. I wanted to see this at the cinema but it is frustrating that it is for one night only - they did this recently with 'Spitfire' which I also missed! Jackson's film is on BBC sometime in Nov I hear.

[Marcel Banziger]

Thanks for bringing this to the attention. The trailer looks really good. Indeed as if it was filmed just recently. Would love to see the complete movie.

[hucks216]

For those in the UK or have access to the BBC iPlayer, They Shall Not Grow Old is being shown on BBC 2 at 2130 on Sunday 11th November.

[Forssmann]

There will be a U.S. release next month on 2 separate days. Dec. 17th and Dec. 27th.
https://www.apnews.com/8398851a8ee14c698f2ca12fccf6cac6

Tickets go on sale next week here:
https://www.fathomevents.com/events/...l-not-grow-old

[KLMKsunbunny]

For those in the UK or have access to the BBC iPlayer, They Shall Not Grow Old is being shown on BBC 2 at 2130 on Sunday 11th November.

It's available on the iplayer for the next 6 days...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episod...l-not-grow-old

[eubank]

A very fine film. Well done to Mr Jackson. Excellent work. Interesting the number of veterans that said , words to the effect that they " would do it all again" and that they actually enjoyed the war, for quite a variety of reasons. Getting away from an otherwise mundane existence, or grinding poverty , to something exciting or to enjoy true comradeship seem to be themes.

[camouk]

Very good film,the colour brings the whole experience so much closer somehow.
Takes you through a variety of emotions,as all good documentaries should.

[Kyle Harrington]

Wonderful stuff

Peter Jackson and his team have brilliantly put together this superb offering.

[Seigfried]

A very fine film. Well done to Mr Jackson. Excellent work. Interesting the number of veterans that said , words to the effect that they " would do it all again" and that they actually enjoyed the war, for quite a variety of reasons. Getting away from an otherwise mundane existence, or grinding poverty , to something exciting or to enjoy true comradeship seem to be themes.

Yes I was surprised tbh, also they said that they felt as if they had been made redundant. it is surprising how similar they appeared to troops today, their SOH and attitude. It really made me laugh when one chap went back to work after years away and was asked if he'd 'been on nights' LOL Some of the grass looked a bit green I thought but the rest of it was brilliant, I was stuck to the screen.

[eubank]

Yes I was surprised tbh, also they said that they felt as if they had been made redundant. it is surprising how similar they appeared to troops today, their SOH and attitude. It really made me laugh when one chap went back to work after years away and was asked if he'd 'been on nights' LOL Some of the grass looked a bit green I thought but the rest of it was brilliant, I was stuck to the screen.

Yes That struck me too - i think that was the very last quote/recording on it " where have you been, on nights?" ...maybe that sums it up for some, at work ( if they had it) they felt barely noticed ( as that response confirms) but at the front there was real consequence to what they were involved in.

[BenVK]

Just watched this on iplayer.
I thought the way they turned the small B&W images into full screen colour was brilliantly done. The interaction between the British and German POW's was fascinating also, especially when one Tommy gives the German who's trying to get past him a shove and a cold stare.
Bit surprised there was absolutely no mention of the German offensives in 1918 though. The film gave the impression that they just gave up in the end which isn't true at all.
That's my only criticism however on this superb piece of work.

[stgeorge64]

For those in the UK or have access to the BBC iPlayer, They Shall Not Grow Old is being shown on BBC 2 at 2130 on Sunday 11th November.

Peter Jackson and his production team have produced an excellent and extremely thought provoking film, which warrants significant reflection.

A 'must see' film accross all levels.

Regards Richard.

[IanC]

Without spoiling it for others, the first transition into colour and with the sound. Blimey. I just sat there opened month. I had to go back and watch that part a number of times.

Absolutely stunning.