They Shall Not Grow Old

Name: They Shall Not Grow Old
Genre: History, War, Documentary
Released: December 17, 2018
Duration: 99 min
Rating: 91

2018

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 27 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 96 Ratings

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8.5

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8.5	User Score Universal acclaim based on 96 Ratings

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They Shall Not Grow Old (International Trailer)

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Movie Details & Credits

Fathom Events | Release Date: December 17, 2018 | Not Rated

Summary: Using state of the art technology to restore original archival footage which is more than a 100-years old, Jackson brings to life the people who can best tell this story: the men who were there. Driven by a personal interest in the First World War, Jackson set out to bring to life the day-to-day experience of its soldiers. After monthsUsing state of the art technology to restore original archival footage which is more than a 100-years old, Jackson brings to life the people who can best tell this story: the men who were there. Driven by a personal interest in the First World War, Jackson set out to bring to life the day-to-day experience of its soldiers. After months immersed in the BBC and Imperial War Museums’ archives, narratives and strategies on how to tell this story began to emerge for Jackson. Using the voices of the men involved, the film explores the reality of war on the front line; their attitudes to the conflict; how they ate; slept and formed friendships, as well what their lives were like away from the trenches during their periods of downtime. … Expand

Director: Peter Jackson

Genre(s): History, War, Documentary

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 99 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Chandler Levack

Dec 17, 2018

Using nothing but the voices and the images from the past, They Shall Not Grow Old is a powerful tribute to every veteran and one of the most empathetic portraits of war ever created. His grandfather would be proud. Read full review

100

The Guardian Peter Bradshaw

Dec 18, 2018

Peter Jackson has created a visually staggering thought experiment; an immersive deep-dive into what it was like for ordinary British soldiers on the western front. Read full review

100

Mick LaSalle

Jan 30, 2019

But it would be a mistake to leave the impression that the rewards of They Shall Not Grow Old are in any way akin to that of the usual BBC historical documentary. There is some overlap, to be sure, but by and large this Peter Jackson film does not offer a historical encounter, so much as an encounter of humanity, a psychic linking of hands across time. Read full review

Guy Lodge

Dec 18, 2018

if They Shall Not Grow Old is head-spinning for its jolting animation of creakily shot battle scenes — tricked out with ingeniously integrated sound editing and seamlessly retimed from 13 frames a second to 24 — its greatest revelation isn’t one of sound and fury. Rather, it’s the film’s faces that stick longest in the mind. Read full review

Marc Savlov

Jan 30, 2019

The end result goes far beyond the simple colorization of moldering battlefield documentation. It restores the humanity of the combatants, both the British and, surprisingly, the German. Ultimately, it’s a you-are-there time capsule of enormous emotional and historical importance. Read full review

The Playlist Oliver Lyttelton

Dec 18, 2018

It makes a deeply human experience, and one that’s frequently both educational (the film’s main purpose: a copy will be given to every school in Britain) and moving. In fact, it’s not so much individual faces or interviews that leave the most lasting impression so much as it’s the cumulative impact of all the faces. Read full review

Movie Nation Roger Moore

Dec 17, 2018

It is immersive, letting us hear and feel the concussion of artillery, if not whistling hail of bullets and the desperation and fury of hand to hand combat. Read full review

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User Reviews

Habibiehakim

Aug 4, 2021

The moment the footage became larger and the moment the footage become colorized, that's the moment i was so impressed, so speechless, so shock on how amazing and how incredible a 100 years footage can be so smooth, so beautiful, so good, so amazing, They Shall Not Grow Old was a depressingThe moment the footage became larger and the moment the footage become colorized, that's the moment i was so impressed, so speechless, so shock on how amazing and how incredible a 100 years footage can be so smooth, so beautiful, so good, so amazing, They Shall Not Grow Old was a depressing yet incredible experience from Peter Jackson's and it's definitely one of the best documentary movie i've ever watch.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

shpostal

Feb 2, 2019

That a good documentary exists at all of the terrors of WWI is vitally important. But this documentary by Peter Jackson is a triumph of modern technology that brings the old silent black and white films shot by British cameramen in Belgium and France somewhere in the midst of a warThat a good documentary exists at all of the terrors of WWI is vitally important. But this documentary by Peter Jackson is a triumph of modern technology that brings the old silent black and white films shot by British cameramen in Belgium and France somewhere in the midst of a war that never should have happened. Historians and history fans like me are familiar with the story of a war of monarchies and incredible loss of life as a result of primarily British Army generals like the worthless Douglas Haig and the criminality and incompetence of a young Winston Churchill, who orchestrated a naval attack in the Dardanelles that was so poorly planned and executed that 50000 British army and navy personnel were mercilessly slaughtered by Ottoman troops who had them pinned down on a thin strip of beach they simply could not escape. Gallipoli should have ended with Churchill's immediate removal from the Navy and face charges of criminal neglect for his idiocy and refusal up to his death to admit he did anything wrong. But "They Shall Not Grow Old" doesn't focus on one particular battle, but rather a shocking and deeply moving day by day film and narrative description of what fighting in this war was like prior to Americans becoming involved that would finally force Germany to surrender lest that country be totally annihilated by a much superior force. And it's brutal, like real war is. No John Wayne heroics here. No cliched company of about six soldiers of various ethnicities spewing the usual Hollywood cliche **** or somebody getting a nick on the top of the arm. There was great care taken to add color to the old film which made the whole sickening affair that much more realistic. The early portion of the film is in black and white at training camps in England prior to departure for France and Belgium, where the color begins. Also, the ability to accurately read the lips of the soldiers and officers and brilliantly synch them into voice overs is jaw dropping. But lest we get ahead of ourselves, it's all about the war as it really happened. We are spared some of the most gruesome instances of the Brits attacking German machine guns in the No Man's Land and direct artillery hits because the film makers of the time were not allowed to take part in the actual charges, but to remain in the trenches and film as troops went up, over, and descended straight into Hell. The rats, magpies, lice, the incredible filth and total lack of sanitation on the front lines is well explained and the sight of mutilated dead soldiers is sobering to say the least. Trench foot victims are filmed, and those poor men were often killed by gangrene and infections, and survivors routinely suffering amputations of legs to stop the infection. WWI was truly the most totally miserable war in modern times, the eventual surrender of Germany followed by a vicious Versailles Treaty that would punish as usual the German public more than anybody by reducing them to near starvation and war restitution that only this decade was finally paid off! One fanatical WWI vet, Adolph Hitler would use this humiliation to exact revenge on his own 21 years later. Hollywood needs to make more real documentaries, accurate and moving. Our willful ignorance of the sacrifices of those who fought, were injured and killed in war to save their nations will have dire consequences. Those who think war is "cool" and something akin to a football game and heroic cliches need to see this film.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

TheRaggedFlygon

Jan 4, 2019

The care that Peter Jackson and Co. put into this movie is incredible. From readjusting each clip's frame speed to taking great care to match the silent film with incredible audio. We have loads of documentaries about the importance of Verdun and the Somme, but very few about the actualThe care that Peter Jackson and Co. put into this movie is incredible. From readjusting each clip's frame speed to taking great care to match the silent film with incredible audio. We have loads of documentaries about the importance of Verdun and the Somme, but very few about the actual stories of soldiers from the war. By having only veterans used for voice overs Jackson has created a picture unlike any other that will likely go down as one of the greatest documentaries in history. The film is around 100 minutes and when it came to its closure, I felt like I could easily sit through another two hours. The stories feel personal and genuine. While the film will offer very few "historical facts" for history enthusiasts and the general public alike to pick up on, the audience is able to understand what it was like to be a soldier. This film is a masterpiece and is a must see for anyone remotely interested in the subject.… Expand

4 of 4 users found this helpful40

romethesecondti

Jul 25, 2019

“They Shall Not Grow Old” – most of the men we see in the film in fact did not – is an anti-war film, “celebrating” the end of what was then called The Great War. The final result, Director Peter Jackson has said, “is that we see the war the way they saw it.” Of course, Jackson has chosen“They Shall Not Grow Old” – most of the men we see in the film in fact did not – is an anti-war film, “celebrating” the end of what was then called The Great War. The final result, Director Peter Jackson has said, “is that we see the war the way they saw it.” Of course, Jackson has chosen the arc of his film – from joy to ennui to disillusionment at best, death at worst. And he has chosen the voices we hear. We see combat the way the director wants us to see it. The film is a technological wonder. Jackson slowed down the 100 hours of silient, jerky film he got from the Imperial War Museum to life-like speeds. He employed lip-readers to determine what the soldiers were saying and supplied those voices. Then he added voice-overs from interviews with more than 120 surviving war veterans whose recollections were recorded in the 1960s and 1970s. His film, though arguably one-sided and focusing on trench warfare, is a tender paean to the men who sacrificed their lives, limbs—and sometimes, faces—for what others thought was the greater good. When you are faced with death, a veteran says, “They say your past comes up in front of your eyes. I was only 19. I hadn’t had any past.”… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

imthenoob

Nov 11, 2020

Not typically a fan of documentaries but found myself captivated by this one. I like the narrative choice of multiple anonymous men telling the story of what it was like being on the front lines throughout the first world war. No names, no dates. You just appreciated what was being told andNot typically a fan of documentaries but found myself captivated by this one. I like the narrative choice of multiple anonymous men telling the story of what it was like being on the front lines throughout the first world war. No names, no dates. You just appreciated what was being told and what was being shown.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

dchipps1945

Dec 30, 2018

It's certainly interesting to be introduced to the day-to-day tribulations of men who fought in the trenches during WWI, accompanied by some great images. I love war documentaries, and this one was the first of its kind I've seen. Very positive review for that.

The negative thing I need toIt's certainly interesting to be introduced to the day-to-day tribulations of men who fought in the trenches during WWI, accompanied by some great images. I love war documentaries, and this one was the first of its kind I've seen. Very positive review for that.

The negative thing I need to mention is, the trailer for this film shows a few shots of tanks and soldiers that look fantastic--like they've been restored practically to the point of perfection--looking just like a modern piece of film. However, the majority of the visuals in this film are of significantly poorer quality, with still shots and illustrations often substituted for action shots. Obviously there couldn't have been a cameraman available in many of these situations, but when we're looking at an illustration of a combat scene with a voiceover, this is indistinguishable from many other WWI documentaries I've seen. I was hoping for something really monumental, visually. This isn't that.

Definitely worth seeing for WWI buffs, but not the visual masterpiece it's been promoted to be.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

AxeT

Feb 19, 2019

Noble high concept technical challenge for the sake of historical document, this plays more as simply that than an involving documentary feature. As is the dumb trend now with anything remotely resembling the documentary form, this thing is a non-stop run on verbal barrage with no sense ofNoble high concept technical challenge for the sake of historical document, this plays more as simply that than an involving documentary feature. As is the dumb trend now with anything remotely resembling the documentary form, this thing is a non-stop run on verbal barrage with no sense of cadence or breathing room causing the viewer to glaze over, which is inexcusable given Jackson's stature and experience! Then again this is the moviemaker whose trademark is overblown, way overlong, bloated, more is less flicks ruined by such in their effectiveness and he still doesn't get it.
You're better off catching some colorized WWI TV docs on The History Channel. For that matter the touted restored, colorized, speed adjusted image here has a phony digitized compressed look with contours swimming and wavering in digital artifacting throughout. It doesn't even look very good on the big screen.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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