Director Peter Jackson set out to pay tribute to his late grandfather, who fought in the war, by creating an immersive experience of life at war, rather than a retelling of events
The war documentary directed by Peter Jackson, renowned for the Lord of The Rings trilogy, has been hailed as a “work of art” with its focus on soldiers’ experiences rather than a historical recounting.
They Shall Not Grow Old was created by Peter Jackson as a homage to his late grandfather who served in the war, prompting him to create an immersive portrayal of wartime life.
The film, released in 2018, offers a fresh perspective by using colourised and restored unseen footage from the First World War, intending to show the true nature of life for soldiers. It fittingly premiered on the centenary of the Armistice on 11 November 1918.
A Rotten Tomatoes said: “I’ve never seen such an artistic approach to a documentary. Peter Jackson uses his extraordinary vision to capture the tragedy of the Great War.
“The transitions of the black and white/small screen to colour full screen encapsulate an eerie clarity that comes with war, capturing the ignorance of the horrors of modern warfare, both before the war ramped up and after the war ended. This film is a work of art.”, reports the Express.
Upon examining the footage, sourced from the BBC and IWM archives, the director opted for a creative approach by using audio excerpts of the actual soldiers instead of a conventional narration. This decision shifted the focus onto the soldiers rather than the war itself, resulting in very few dates or locations being disclosed throughout the film.
Discussing the creation of the film, Jackson told Flix: “We also edited out any references to dates and places because I didn’t want the movie to be about this day here or that day there. There’s hundreds of books about all that stuff. I wanted the film to be a human experience and be agnostic in that way.”
They Shall Not Grow Old has received an impressive 99% overall score on the review site, with countless glowing reviews praising its ‘true’ retelling of these soldiers’ stories. One review said: “Amazing window to see the true happenings of the First World War. The commentary from the soldiers was amazing to get to see their point of view and their experiences. There’s nothing like it.”
Another review added: “A must-see film depicting the horrors of war by the ones who fought and survived. The revamped footage, along with commentary sharing individual stories of their experiences, makes for a compelling movie on the Great War.”
When discussing his choice to colourise archival footage, Jackson stated that the soldiers who fought in the conflict didn’t perceive it in black and white, thus he felt compelled to present it as they experienced it.
The director undertook this project out of sheer enthusiasm, without any financial compensation, after his team restored all 100 hours of the material.
One viewer said: “Incredible cinematic work to breathe new life into old footage and pay respect to a generation’s sacrifice.”
Another shared their thoughts, saying: “I’m not the largest fan of documentaries; however, this documentary is not only emotional, entertaining, and informative to watch, but it is also revolutionary and an absolute must-see for any history fans and those just looking for a powerful and fresh look at the horrors of WWI.”
The impactful documentary, They Shall Not Grow Old, is available for viewing now on Amazon Prime.
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