They Shall Not Grow Old

R

Released Feb 1, 2019

1h 39m

Documentary

History

Drama

War

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for They Shall Not Grow Old: Peter Jackson Reaction

List

99%

156 Reviews

Tomatometer

91%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Using state-of-the-art technology and materials from the BBC and Imperial War Museum, filmmaker Peter Jackson allows the story of World War I to be told by the men who were there. Life on the front is explored through the voices of the soldiers, who discuss their feelings about the conflict, the food they ate, the friends they made and their dreams of the future.

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Critics Consensus

An impressive technical achievement with a walloping emotional impact, They Shall Not Grow Old pays brilliant cinematic tribute to the sacrifice of a generation.

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Rachael B

I loved the raw footage and hearing these soldiers discuss some topics that aren't frequently visited by other documentaries. The major flaw with this film is that they splice interviews from multiple different men into one sentence and it feels like the editing is trying to morph all of these individuals into one common experience. I wish that they would have separated these interviews so that you could tell which man said which parts.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/08/23

Full Review

Alejandro E

In documented form, without the characteristic tone of the genre, the motivation and sacrifice of a generation that volunteered to fight in a war that was not entirely theirs is narrated.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/20/23

Full Review

Aaron S

It's surreal to watch both of Peter Jackson's film restoration projects - this and Get Back. There's a bit of tasting the forbidden fruit that's happening here that is a fascinating prospect of how we study history as time and technology marches forward. This is about as clear of a look at anything we'll get at something that happened 100 years ago and it just so happens we're looking at one of the most defining and horrifying events in that same amount of time. There will be people able to look and see what life is like now in 500 years - just imagine if we had the privilege of seeing what life was like in the 1500s or even earlier through video and sound. This is all to say that They Shall Not Grow Old is a priceless work of historical preservation and should be required viewing when learning about a soldier's life during WW1. What this isn't is a one stop shop for WW1 history. It doesn't give you the background on the conflict or the outcomes which to its credit keeps it focused on and consistent with the soldiers' experience. Their insights with the accompanying images is why we're here. This is certainly the strength of the doc, but the soldier's personal accounts left me feeling mostly cold. They simultaneously discuss how hellish the front line was and also express pride and enjoyment in their participation. It had me thinking more about the culture of the time than the actual war. What was so different then that men enthusiastically volunteered to be blown to bits but seem to harbor very little bitterness...even for their enemies. It almost felt like they were communicating that war was an acceptable alternative to their every day lives which...just wow. Needless to say, I enjoyed this as a piece of history and Jackson does a fantastic job of weaving just enough of a narrative to keep this very watchable.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/27/23

Full Review

Dale M

An innovative use of archival film, bringing history to life. This was a very interesting look at the life of an English infantryman in World War I. Since it is archival footage, not a silent movie shot in black and white, Peter Jackson's use of colorization and 3-D rendering and use of oral history by survivors added extra impact to the telling of the tale. I thought his restricting the story to English infantry and not dealing with individual battles was a good way to bring focus to the film. Showing the opening of the war and armistice as the opening and closing of the film and leaving the rest without a true timeline was innovative and focused attention on the life of the solder in the war.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

07/27/23

Full Review

james

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.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/13/23

Full Review

Alec B

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 & white/small screen to color full screen encapsulates an eery clarity that comes with war; while capturing the ignorance of the horrors modern warfare, both before the war ramped up, and after the war ended. This film is a work of art, and impacted me on a deep level. Also, I think I saw my doppelgänger in it haha.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/11/23

Full Review

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Peter Jackson

Director

Peter Jackson

Actor

Peter Jackson

Writer

Clare Olssen

Writer

Tessa Ross

Executive Producer

Ken Kamins

Executive Producer

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They Shall Not Grow Old: Peter Jackson Reaction

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James Berardinelli

ReelViews

They Shall Not Grow Old isn't just a compelling motion picture; it's an important slice of cinema.

Rated: 3.5/4

Aug 2, 2021

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Paul Byrnes

Sydney Morning Herald

What a superb way to remember the centenary of the end of the war. Hail Peter.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 11, 2019

Full Review

Aimee Levitt

Chicago Reader

This is as close as we can get to a full immersion into one of the most horrifying and ultimately pointless wars in modern history.

Dec 10, 2019

Full Review

Dennis Harvey

48 Hills

Jackson applied colorization, audio effects, and digital enhancement to make newsreel footage from the Imperial War Museum’s archives bring real-life glimpses of British military service during WW1 to eerily immediate new life.

Mar 12, 2024

Full Review

Kip Mooney

College Movie Review

[A] moving tribute to the men who served.

Rated: B+

Aug 17, 2021

Full Review

Alex Bentley

CultureMap

By itself, the footage shown in They Shall Not Grow Old is not all that grand, but Jackson has made it so with 21st century technology, bringing to life a time that should not be forgotten.

Apr 9, 2021

Full Review

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Synopsis

Using state-of-the-art technology and materials from the BBC and Imperial War Museum, filmmaker Peter Jackson allows the story of World War I to be told by the men who were there. Life on the front is explored through the voices of the soldiers, who discuss their feelings about the conflict, the food they ate, the friends they made and their dreams of the future.

Director: Peter Jackson
Producer: Tessa Ross, Ken Kamins
Screenwriter: Peter Jackson, Clare Olssen
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: WingNut Films, House Productions
Rating: R (Disturbing War Images)
Genre: Documentary, History, Drama, War
Original Language: English (United Kingdom)
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 1, 2019, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 12, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA): $18.0M
Runtime: 1h 39m
Sound Mix: Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital

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