They Shall Not Grow Old | Film Review

Documentaries often serve as introspection into a subject the viewer is either uninformed on or even oblivious to. The filmmakers use facts and footage to illustrate a narrative, imparting knowledge necessary for the audience to form an educated opinion on the topic-at-hand. Due mostly to their inherent nature of cobbling together old news footage, rarely are these works of art technically brilliant. They Shall Not Grow Old proves to be the exception.

The Great War campaign (famously known as World War I) endured from 1914-1918, placing millions of combatants in harm’s way as “the war to end all wars” ran its course. Surviving over 100 years, archival footage of the events of WWI and the soldiers who placed their lives on the line for a purpose they often failed to comprehend has landed square in the hands of famed director, Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies). And what Jackson does with this century-old collection of images and moving pictures is nothing short of awe-inspiring.

As a critic, I purposely attempt to walk into each and every film armed with as little information as possible, preferring to see the film through the lens the filmmaker intended. In today’s age of leaking every single casting detail coupled with trailers showcasing entire storylines, this endeavor typically proves fruitless. Walking into They Shall Not Grow Old, though, my only true prior knowledge was that this was a labor of love for Peter Jackson, and the film was restored WWI footage dedicated to Jackson’s grandfather and the family of his wife and co-producer, Fran Walsh. “Restored” is the understatement of the century.

Jackson and crew assembled over 90 minutes of archival footage, reels that alone are unconnected accounts of various soldiers at differing stages of the war. Then, he and his team meticulously corrected issues such as cleaning up distortions, adjusting the frames per second (fps), and optimizing the presentation by infusing colorization. The results of this effort are absolutely breathtaking. There are moments when you would swear this footage was nothing more than a recent tour on some remote, forgotten battlefield (even fashioning an action sequence of sorts). Or perhaps location shots from a secretive project Jackson was working on simultaneously. The truth is, we are instead being graced with witnessing a revolution in technical achievement in regards to film restoration. Simply stunning.

To create an arc of sorts, Jackson eschewed narration and took to combing through hundreds of hours of WWI survivors recounting their experiences in the war. Layering their words over his remastered images, Jackson’s film glides across the complexities of the war and instead focuses on the day-to-day struggles of the soldiers fighting it. Through their own voices, these men elaborate on the life of a soldier, complementing each horrific tale with another of humor or comradery. If you hope to leave They Shall Not Grow Old with a greater understanding of WWI as a whole, prepare for disappointment. This is a film dedicated to, and remains focused on, the soldiers and their journeys.

Documentaries of this ilk often capture the horrors of war, though few shine a light onto the humanity and levity present in those brave souls on the front lines. Peter Jackson and his crew have managed to utilize every tool in their arsenal to unbury the past and bring it roaring back to life. They Shall Not Grow Old is, quite frankly, a brilliant achievement in filmmaking, and one Jackson and Walsh’s family would most certainly be proud of.

They Shall Not Grow Old is now playing in limited release
Directed by Peter Jackson