After bringing countless battles in Middle-earth to life, Peter Jackson's latest effort is this powerhouse documentary made for the centenary of the end of World War I. Drawn from extensively-studied archival footage and audio from the frontlines and from the veterans' reminiscences, They Shall Not Grow Old was promoted as a groundbreaking documentary and my oath, it sure is.
As the son and grandson of veterans, Jackson had wanted to make a war project for years and it thoroughly shows. Most of the footage is colourised with the audio clips laid over the top in an effort to more authentically reflect the soldiers' experiences, and while this initially feels incongruous in some scenes it ultimately conveys a very personal reality: most of the soldiers themselves naturally would've seen this conflict in colour, and heard it in all relentlessly noisy force (no pun intended).
But forget about its technical merits; its real, enormous power comes from Jackson's thematic treatment. His approach in treading this very delicate territory is so distinctive, unbiased, empathetic and shattering that eventually I almost felt I was really there in the trenches myself. It defies and avoids all the war movie or documentary cliches and instead becomes something altogether more universal and affecting: a statement about mortality, misinformation, the fragility and impressionability of youth, and how journeys can irrevocably change us. I knew Jackson could do great work with stories set in our own world, as opposed to just in fantasy worlds, but I didn't know he could do so with something as visceral as this subject. He has done his father, paternal grandfather, and all of their fellow veterans proud. Lest we forget.
No comments:
Post a Comment