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Lee (2222 KP) rated They Shall Not Grow Old (2018) in Movies

Nov 12, 2018

They Shall Not Grow Old (2018)

2018 | Documentary, History, War

9.3

(22 Ratings)

Movie Rating Watch

The restoration work is unbelievable (0 more)

Absolutely outstanding and timely reminder of our past

I managed to miss the cinema screenings of this recently, so was very happy to discover that it was going to be shown on the BBC as part of their centenary remembrance schedule and I'd be able to enjoy it at home.

A collection of old archive footage from World War I shows young boys enlisting in the army and going through their training. It's narrated by actual WWI veterans, describing how they lied about their age in order to sign up and recounting their fears and excitement while preparing for battle. Even at this point in the movie, it's an effective and interesting use of the tired looking silent black and white clips we're all used to seeing.

And then we suddenly see where all the time and effort has been spent on this movie, as one of those tired looking clips suddenly transforms into vivid colour. And it's not just the colour that's been applied either. Where these original film clips would vary in frame rate, resulting in that familiar jittery sped up effect, that's all been corrected here, with computers used to apply missing frames and provide a smoother realistic experience. Sound has been added too, not just the explosions and sounds of war, but voices of the soldiers. The team were able to lip read the restored footage and then record actors voices onto it. Apparently, the cinema release even has a touch of 3D applied to it!

The result though is simply incredible. We're taken into the trenches and into the war itself. Not only does it make the horrors of war all the more real and horrific, but it also makes the fun and the laughter that the soldiers still managed to share all the more poignant too. It's absolutely outstanding, and something that everyone should see.