They Shall Not Grow Old

This film should probably just market itself as a “History Nerds Unite!” event. Since I am one, I happily attended this film screening and was blown away. Peter Jackson was asked by the Imperial War Museum to take archival footage from World War I and create something interesting to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of Armistice Day. He decided to take the footage, colorize it, and add sound to bring WWI to life. The voice overs in the film are from actual soldiers who fought in WWI. The BBC recorded interviews for a segment they did in the 1970’s and Jackson utilized the audio footage. So you’re getting amazing footage of the war, narrated by those who actually fought in it. I couldn’t believe the quality of the footage and the sound effects and narrations that were added. It was truly an immersive film and it made WWI seem real and immediate to me in a way I have never experienced before. You got the experience of the everyday soldier and what life was like for him during the war. The film was mesmerizing and haunting with unique film tactics (zooming in on the soldiers faces and doing quick cuts to dead bodies) by Jackson that tugged at your heart and made you empathize with the young men who were fighting. After the credits there was a 30 minute segment that showcased Jackson talking about how he completed the project. This was honestly just as interesting as the documentary itself. I had no idea Jackson was such a WWI history buff. He owns artillery and uniforms from the war (as you do, he said). Plus his grandfather fought in the war so he said the project was deeply personal for him. This film was such a surprise and I absolutely loved it. If you can get to a theater to see it you should because this will hit you hard.

Film or Movie: Film
You’ll like this film if:
1. You love World War I
2. You’re a history buff
3. You want to see a truly groundbreaking documentary