Movie Breakdown: They Shall Not Grow Old

Pre-Screening Stance:

Peter Jackson hasn’t directed anything since The Hobbit Trilogy (2012-2014), so that’s reason enough for me to see They Shall Not Grow Old.  With that being said, the restored/remastered WWI footage that makes up Jackson’s doc looks incredible and I’m anxious to check it all out.

Post-Screening Ramble:

As I was grabbing a seat at the press screening for They Shall Not Grow Old, a rep popped in to check on all of the professors that had been invited by – I assume – the studio.  It was then that I figured I was in for a rather legit WWI documentary, and it turns out that I was right.  The audio in the film consists of select clips from interviews with soldiers that were conducted by the BBC and the Imperial War Museum in the 60s and 70s, so there are no talking heads or whatnot.  Personally, I found it a little easy to tune out with so many faceless voices swirling around, but overall this approach provides some extra insight and works pretty well.  On the footage front, it’s the usual war-centric barrage of men in trenches, weapons, injuries, etc., but there’s a different spin on it since it’s been masterfully colorized and restored by Peter Jackson and this team.  They really do make it all come to life, which helps the film resonate on an emotional level.

So, should you run out and see this doc?  Yes and no.  If you’re a big history buff (or a professor, it would seem), then you should grab a ticket right away.  If you’re just hoping for a really engaging experience, I’d wait until you can watch this one at home.  It has some interesting moments, the visuals are neat and it’s nice to not get something centered around WWII for once, but it isn’t what I would consider an accessible effort.

One Last Thought:

It’s crazy to me that so may underage soldiers fought in WWI.  I don’t recall the doc giving a number, but this BBC article says that there were approximately 250,000 boys under the age of 19 that made their way into service.  That’s wild.