They Shall Not Grow Old was an emotional roller-coaster, a worthy tribute to The Lost Generation.
The film essentially never breaks character for the entirety of it’s runtime. Being made up of footage of WWI, as well as still images, overlaid with audio from firsthand accounts by British soldiers that served in the war. The entire thing is edited together so seamlessly that after about ten minutes you'll practically forget you're watching a documentary as the soldiers lay their lives out before you.
The film’s surface level selling point, that the WWI footage had been recolored is held off until a key moment that blew me away. The coloring is done so convincingly you would think it was originally captured that way.
The content is heartbreaking, the eager young men of the British Isles joined the war effort and experienced hell on earth, you can hear the pain in their voices as the sounds of war play in the background. There are numerous poignant moments during the retelling that will have you in tears. The film is a tribute to the men and their sacrifice but in no way seeks to celebrate the war itself, the film serves as a memorial, not a celebration. In fact, the commonality the British troops find in their German counterparts is a running theme throughout. Young men on both sides suffering and dying at the behest of the ruling class.
Jackson doesn't just pay tribute to the men of World War I and their sacrifice; he brings them back to life.
10/10
“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.” – Laurence Binyon (For the Fallen)