Peter Jackson was the driving force behind THEY SHALL NOT GROW OLD, a film which feels new and fresh despite dealing with the well-chronicled First World War. We thought we'd heard all the stories by now, and seen all the old, grainy film clips, but this feature length documentary's genius lies in the restoration of the old footage to give it a new, glossy, and, most importantly, full-colour look. The soundtrack is entirely accompanied by actors reading out various diary entries from Tommies which adds to the experience immeasurably, and the footage itselfs, of huge explosions, of life in the trenches and the battlefields strewn with the gruesome dead, is often breathtaking. A fitting tribute, then, to those who fell, and one which deserves multiple viewings.
Review of They Shall Not Grow Old
