Member review

No one can explain the trenches of WW1 as meaningful as the Soldiers that were there can. Peter Jackson evokes the watcher's emotions in this breathtaking documentary. The combination of footage from the period and narration from ex soldiers is what makes the documentary so gripping. The colourisation of the film instantly resonates with the audience as it made everything feel so real. The black and white footage we are used to could never emotionally grip watchers like They Shall Not Grow Old has. The change to colour made me, like many others, have a sudden realisation, it wasn't a movie. The colours caused me to doubt what I was seeing because we're ingrained to believe colours are modern. After the initial shock that the soldiers and everything happening around them was real, I felt engaged. This was enhanced by the different voice's talking about their real experiences. The documentary didn't cover anything up, adding to the shock factor. Jackson really did them justice.