“They Shall Not Grow Old” Was Released Tuesday To Rave Reviews

A change in pace from the special effects filled action adventures he is known for, Sir Peter Jackson has released his WWI documentary on Tuesday that brings life to the young men who fought in the Great War. The first major world conflict of the modern era, and still one of the deadliest and most brutal, was fought 100 years ago, and “They Shall Not Grow Old” takes us their in full color.

Jackson utilized state-of-the-art technology to recolor footage from the war, which results in a picture that is much easier to immerse oneself in. The film-maker has stated that through the process of making this documentary, he realized how close those people resembled the rest of us after the shakiness and distortion of their early film cameras was stabilized.

Jackson also hired professional lip readers to analyze the speech of the young men. Audio was added, with actors used give sound to their voices, with ambient noise giving viewers another layer of immersion. Stitching together all these elements, with the known history of the First World War, took an expert director.

However it seems almost out of place for the Director, who’s early career was filled with “splatter” horror films, epic fantasies, and big budget block busters. But perhaps this new film accentuates one of Jackson’s qualities that make those smash hits he is known for, and that is a level of intimacy and personality that rings with audiences. He has stated that this film felt personal, and Jackson’s own grandfather fought in the war. Mostly, it appears that he strove to capture part of history so that it would not be lost in the midst of changing times.