[October 20, 2018] Technology continues to progress in all areas of life but one that I will highlight today is in the video industry. Peter Jackson, from “Lord of the Rings” fame, has applied his talents to bring to life old, silent film footage of World War I. Recently released, he put his genius to use in an amazing restoration of old video; called, They Shall Not Grow Old (2018).
This project is more than a mere restoration of old footage. Mr. Jackson interviewed with Mark Kermode, from BBC, to talk about the innovative technological work they did but also the humanity of it also. This work puts the humanity back into war and in particular focuses on the troops (mostly British) in new, creative but respectful ways. See link to interview here.
Watching the new video gives us a better idea what it was like in the trenches, what soldiers did and how they helped each others, and the conditions under which they served. Peter Jackson correctly tells us that there is this tendency to look at those serving in WWI as somehow victims but that is not how they saw themselves.
Those who served would tell you that their experiences took them beyond their childhoods and their stay-behind friends and propelled them into something bigger and more rewarding. For the first time, many had to rely on complete strangers for survival. This reliance leads to a comradeship that only those who have lived and survived a great traumatic event would understand.
“It is remarkable how many smiles there are and how many at the very beginning of the montage [of the video].” – Mark Kermode, BBC
Many of these British soldiers could not wait to get to the front where the action was to be a part of a great machine that would end a great evil. I’m sure this revitalized video will be another step to an understanding of war and what it means to those of us who can never be there.
If you get a chance to see it; do so. It’s a must see!
The looks on the faces of these men is priceless. It runs completely counter to what many, so-called historians say about the war today. It’s time to re-evaluate the victimhood ideology of today. Nuff’ said.
Spot on comment, Andrew. Thanks.
With this advancement in video restoration technology, I expect now to see old movies come back to life. In fact, while I love many of the older movies, I would also like to see them restored; especially like the pre-WWII times.
While technology advances and let’s not overlook this fact, the gain we have is a glimpse into the past. For those who were involved; thanks.
Mr. Jackson. Please do more of this type of work. I hope to see more in the near future. ?
I was sitting here at my computer and after I read your article today (while drinking my coffee like my comrades here), I watched the official trailer. I just sat there while my coffee cooled thinking about what I’d just seen. Never before have I been that amazed by watching something like this. What I really liked was Jackson’s showing the old movie and the restored version.
Wow Wow Wow … this is great stuff. I’m so happy that film technology has advanced to this level. I watched the trailer 5 times. I will watch it again and again. I hope to see the film in its whole soon.
I agree with you Drew. Great stuff. This Peter Jackson guy (who produced Lord of the Rings) is a real genius. But he also has something the Hollywood moral weaklings don’t have. He has chutzpah. Call it guts, grit, strength … whatever. This is a fantastic drive through the war and everyone should see it.
My Grandfather, who served in the war, said that they were better people because of their experiences. He was no victim. He said he saw horrific things but would gladly serve again if he could. These guys were tough as nails.
Here’s a link to a good review of Peter Jackson’s newest video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHYRfukHToc
Thanks for bringing the war to end all wars back to life. None of us have any idea how “good” or how “bad” the war was on the lives of those who fought there.
I’m looking forward to seeing the whole thing. Searching YouTube helped me get some additional cuts and the official trailer. Go there to see it or just click on this link (less than a minute):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHYRfukHToc
This video should be seen by our Millennial Generation. Or better, by the snowflakes that attend college. They would all be shocked by what took place during the war. Now, I know that much of the video was taken during more peaceful times during the war. Yes, there were lulls and the video shows much of it. That’s okay. The technological work is fantastic and bringing it back to modern viewers is inspiring.
The interview that you link to, Gen. Satterfield, is very informative and you get to understand better what Mr. Jackson was doing. Yes, he wants to make money off it but also has the artists desire to allow us to see and experience things we never saw or experienced before.
I agree. Anyone finding where I can watch the whole thing, let me know. I’m sure all of us that read these leadership pages would like to experience the whole film. Thank you … thank you for bringing this to my attention.
I haven’t seen it yet but the first chance I do, I will watch the whole thing. Probably will see it several times. I really liked the official trailer. I know it was linked to already so please to there or simply search the Internet. Easy to find.
Truly amazing. I would like to see the whole video but don’t know where. If anyone finds it, like on Amazon Prime, post it here. Thanks.
I agree, a truly welcome restoration process. Great attention to detail. For example, Peter Jackson used experts at lip reading to understand what these men were saying and then used actor’s voices to add a more realistic addition to his artwork. Great job.
Wow! Absolutely amazing. Thanks for bringing this to my attention. My great-grandfather served on the Western Front in France during WWI. I remember the stories he told me as a small child. This video brings his experiences back to life. True. We should never forget.