'work of art' war film with almost perfect rating shows real horrors of combat

The director of this war film aimed to depict the lives of those who fought, rather than simply retelling the events, and viewers are hailing it a "work of art". They Shall Not

Grow Old is a documentary by the esteemed Peter Jackson, the creative force behind the highly praised Lord of The Rings trilogy. Jackson dedicated this project to his late grandfather, a

veteran himself, and this personal connection inspired him to create an immersive portrayal of life during wartime. This 2018 film offers a unique perspective on war, utilising colourised

and restored unseen footage from the First World War to convey the realities of life as a soldier. In recognition of this, it premiered on the 100th anniversary of the Armistice of 11

November 1918. A Rotten Tomatoes reviewer wrote: "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. After examining footage from the BBC and IWM archives, the

director chose to incorporate audio clips of actual soldiers instead of a traditional narration. This decision shifted the film's focus onto the soldiers themselves rather than the war,

resulting in minimal mention of specific dates or locations throughout the movie. Discussing the film's creation, 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 rating on the review site, with countless glowing reviews praising its authentic portrayal

of the soldiers' experiences. One reviewer stated: "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 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

historical footage, Jackson stated that the soldiers who fought in the war saw it in colour, not black and white, making it crucial for him to present it as they experienced it. This project

was driven by Jackson's passion, as he did not receive any financial compensation for the film, with his team restoring all 100 hours of footage. A viewer said: "Incredible

cinematic work to breathe new life into old footage and pay respect to a generation's sacrifice." Another shared their thoughts: "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 now on Amazon Prime.