They Shall Not Grow Old (2018)

Directed by: Peter Jackson | 100 minutes | documentary

It’s best to just walk in blank, without any prior knowledge of coloring techniques or approaches: then the impact of Peter Jackson’s new documentary is greatest. Indeed, Peter Jackson: the maker of fantasy film(series)s such as ‘The Lord of the Rings’, ‘King Kong’ and ‘The Hobbit’ has now delivered a real documentary; his first. And ‘They Shall Not Grow Old’ has become a very special work, no less creative or emotional than his fiction films, and with the added value of real stories, voices and events. Because modern film editing technology is beautiful and handy, but of course it’s all about the soldiers themselves. Showing their humanity and personality is the greatest triumph of this film production.

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the end of WWI (in 1918) – and to honor his grandfather and many other soldiers who fought in this war – Jackson analyzed many archive footage and listened to interviews with and about those involved. To then turn this into a coherent story, with an emphasis on the experiences of the – often very young – soldiers, from the moment of the outbreak of the war and enlisting for service, up to the capitulation and return to their own country.

It is fascinating material, precisely because of its personal character. Throughout the film we hear stories from the soldiers themselves, with their authentic British accents and without regard for political correctness or other sensitivities. There is a remarkable amount of humor in these stories, especially during the initial phase but also later, which is also reflected in the images of smiling soldiers who try to keep time bearable between battles.

The viewer gets to hear the first thigh-slapper when war breaks out, and one of the (future) soldiers is just involved in a rugby match with Germany. In the silence they hear that from that moment on they are at war with each other. The question was whether they should stab their opponents in the back or just continue the game. They all decided that for them the war would not start until the next day.

Also very funny – if it wasn’t so serious – is the fact that 15 and 16 year olds were just admitted into the army without batting an eyelid. Not once, but in succession you will hear this story, in different variations. ‘How old are you?’ the recruits were asked when they applied. ‘Sorry, too young. Just go out and celebrate your birthday, then come back.” Madness.

It is also striking that there was actually no need to advertise the war: the young men were almost eager to get to the front. This was for several reasons. Some were simply looking for work, others for camaraderie, or the excitement of battle. The (false) sense of superiority that existed among almost all British people played a major role in this. They assumed that the English were naturally better soldiers and fighters than the Germans. ‘One Englishman was worth as much as ten Germans’, was the conviction of many.

No one was prepared for reality: an inhumane trench warfare, with an enemy you couldn’t see but who constantly bombarded you with grenades, with rotten feet, rats, bad hygiene… and little time for a cup of tea. The latter is meant as a joke, but only partially. Because the British perfectly fit the stereotypical image of the most tea-loving people in the world. If they could, they would make a cup and get back to it.

Unfortunately, the romantic image some had of the cavalry charging into the enemy, with battle cries and flags fluttering, was not quite right here. Or not at all. However, they must have felt equally euphoric when they first took their seats in the imposing metal vehicles waiting on the battlefield: tanks indeed, first deployed in 1916. (The men had no idea what a “tank” was; they initially thought it was water tanks.)

One of the few moments when the British could really see the German enemy was when they had braved many trenches and a load of barbed wire and undaunted the shooting, grenade-throwing and flame-throwing Germans, bayonets firmly in hand. This is told excitingly by one of the soldiers and visually supported by illustrations and sound effects, in the absence of moving images of these actual confrontations. The right choice, in the context of authenticity. A reconstruction with actors – even if techniques and elements have now been used to increase the atmosphere – would have felt less real.

Because, yes, we can’t help but discuss the methods that the filmmakers have used here. ‘They Shall Not Grow Old’ actually starts with the original archive images: black and white, in a square frame, and with fast movements due to the recording at 18 frames per second (instead of 24 frames). But as soon as the men enter the battlefield, the picture widens, and everything is suddenly in color. We also see and hear the men talking; where the words have been retrieved by lip readers. The images also become wider and quite literally take on more depth and dimensions. The expansive 3D images allow the viewer to walk through the trenches, as it were, the size and detail of which come into their own like never before, enhancing the viewer’s involvement in the events. Not to mention the sound effects of grenade impacts and whistling bullets.

It has undoubtedly been a painstaking job to color everything as well as possible and to bring faces, words and situations to life in this way. And it has paid off. We see the faces of the real soldiers, who often smile or look shyly into the camera, just the way it is when you point a camera at someone. Real people, not perfect Hollywood actors who always look cool or interesting. And in color. It makes the experience both authentic and retrospective: on the one hand you realize and feel very well that people have really experienced this, but on the other hand it is clear through the editing that it concerns people, filmmakers, viewers, who view from the present. That we think back, remember. The clear artificial processing shows the hand of the maker, which is a shame at times when the technique doesn’t quite ‘get it’ – then faces seem to come off a bit or the eyes are too white – but usually it’s not a problem. Not exactly, even, because it shows our connection to history; our wish not to forget this war or let it lose its color.

Because color is there; also in the way people react to situations and other people. Sometimes cruel or indifferent, but usually surprisingly humane. For example, after the war, German prisoners of war immediately helped the British when a wounded person had to be carried away. And tell British soldiers how much they respected their enemy. That they thought the Germans were good fighters and realized that they really didn’t want this any more than they did (eventually). It is also striking how there was actually no joy when the war was ‘won’. Tiredness and the question of where on earth they should work now that they could no longer be soldiers, prevailed. This was all they could and knew. It was (then) also poignant how many civilians looked at the men on their return. Before the war everyone was a patriot, now they didn’t need to know anything about the war. Most people just didn’t understand what the reality of the war really was like for those involved. With ‘They Shall Not Grow Old’ we will never forget this.