February 26th, 2019

Movie Review #7321. THEY SHALL NOT GROW OLD.

Peter Jackson continues with his WWI love affair with this documentary film using digitally restored and colourised footage. The result is quite spectacular and almost looks like a modern day re-enactment except that it’s not.

Starts and ends with original variable speed, black-and-white takes for contrast and while the background soundtrack is a modern day overdub, the commentaries along the way are not. Content is raw and uncompromising, showing the stark brutality of a war that for the first time was not fought according to Queensbury Rules.

We also get a full frontal reminder that these were men with lives, dreams and aspirations like any of us, not merely images on 100 year old film while their treatment upon demobilisation was nothing short of disgusting.

Forget all other WWI docos you might have seen, think you’ll find this one trumps them all however I’m not going to rate it as it seems inappropriate to associate it with entertainment.

I also understand that Mr Jackson’s next project is another doco job around the final years of The Beatles, will certainly be looking forward to that!