Whether he knows it or not, I think Peter Jackson preserved a piece of history told in an away that Hollywood never could, or ever would. No unnecessary drama, nor detraction from the brutal truth of war. Just putting a relatable human face on 100 year old footage and letting the broader story be told from people who were there. I cannot articulate just how valuable this is for the public memory of the conflict and his work should be shown in every British school.
Hollywood will never make a realistic movie about WW 1. The USA was only involved in a small scale, and only after it was clear that the Germans and Austrians were about to be driven back into a check mate position. The countries who were invested fully are the only countries who will try to explore those times.
Not just British schools, but at least in any country that was involved and English speaking (unless there are good translations out there). It's a fantastic movie and as Dan Snow and Peter Jackson point out, it brings an immediacy, a realness, and a compelling viewing of something that happened over 100 years ago.
I took a half day off of work in my 20s to watch this film at my local cinema. I was surrounded by older men around Peters age with many veterans in the audience. I loved every minute of it.
It was a profound experience to see the old black and white footage be transformed into colour. Peter's right, whilst the old footage depicts real men, they almost feel like ghosts and any emotional connection is muted. With the restoration and tasteful sound additions it's like transforming those people back into real human beings.
I think that's what got to me, because you're right. Black and white feels 'old', it's so removed, and strangely detached from reality, if that makes sense. Black and white looks like history, but you put just that subtle dash of colour to it, and they're people, it's living and breathing.
My Great Grandfather was with the 3rd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment in 1915. They were dug in South East of Hill 60. He was shot 3 times in the right shoulder and bayoneted through the lung. Never fully recovered from the wounds and died in 1950. My Grandma said he used to stand in the street and yell at the Luftwaffe when they flew over during the blitz. His name was Walter Ernest Perry. There’s one for your figures Dan!
Thank you so much for sharing this, @Super_tramp142! That is an amazing story. The vision I now have in my mind's eye of your great-grandfather yelling at the Luftwaffe will be henceforth shared far and wide. Though I'm sure there was real rage present, the image is quite funny!
at least your Great Grandfather had some great sauce !! My Grandfather went to Gallipoli and rode all over Palestine, and good on your Great Grandfather for keeping his fighting spirit and yelling at the Luftwaffe in defiance
Just that chatty introduction between two complete enthusiasts about how you track starter survivors, and post war casualties was so telling, gentlemen I salute you, doing the right thing for the right reasons.
The way Peter talks at 13:40 about the reason his father came to New Zealand is very much a similar reason my grandfather immigrated to New Zealand after his service in Korea
I watched this masterpiece in the movie theater when it came out here in the States.I honestly broke down in tears at the scene of the troops waiting in the sunken road waiting to go over to the attack. I've seen this footage before but Jacksons work cleaning up the film allowed me to see despite the usual smiles the fear and and the resigination in the men's eyes that told me that they realized that they were doomed. That scene allowed me a glimpe of my great-uncle Edmund who could have gotten out of frontline duty as a Chaplain and instead served as an infantry officer in the 320th Regiment of the 80th Infantry Division of the US Army. He was killed in action two months before the armistice went into effect in 1918. I'm forever grateful to Mr. Jackson for giving me a small glimpse into what my Grandmother's brother experienced on the Western Front.
Jackson not only remastered, and colorized; the software normalized the playback speed. No more comically paced film. That's the part that brings it all home for me.
Is there anything Peter Jackson can't do?! 1st class work, as always...as brilliant as the film is, it's also a very sobering film to watch😢 LEST WE FORGET 🇦🇺 🇬🇧
Great interview. My grandfather, Roger Frederick Kenyon, went to France and worked with the horses that pulled the artillery. He was from Liverpool, but I've never been able to find what unit he joined. He came back in 1919, but a very changed man, maybe gassed, but he didn't get on well with his sons Tom and Fred, my Dad. One went to British Guiana as it was then, and my father went to sea, on a tramp ship, with passengers and cargo, travelling from Chile through the Panama Canal, Cuba and on to New York, from 1922 till 1932 when there were neither passengers nor cargo !
Having read a lot of war history, been told about it and watched a fair few documentaries, bringing history to life in They Shall Not Grow Old blew my mind. It should be shown in schools out of necessity when they're studying the period. Peter Jackson's work and approach, also with the Beatles, is inspired and outstanding.
That piece, at the end of the documentary, by the lads from the British Consolate in New Zealand singing, _Mademoiselle from Armentières_ was a genuine stroke of inspired genius.
This is really, really good colourisation. I have seen the 1980s work and it wasn't very good. This is top notch, excellent. You now see the original colours from that time.
My paternal grandfather was born in Newport in 1898. His military record says he was born in 1896. He’d lied about his age and joined up with the Staffordshires when he was 16. He was sent to Gallipoli. He survived that and was sent to the Somme. He was shot in the hand but ended up back on the Somme after convalescence. He survived the war and then died of stomach cancer in December 1959, aged 61. I was born in January 1959, unfortunately, I have no memories of him.
Wow...just saw this doc this past weekend. The work that went into restoring the old films and the voice tapes...👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽. It was quite startingly to see these young soldiers staring at the camera...it felt like they were looking right at you. 😮 Edit: Kudos to the interviewer for his enthusiasim and for not interuppting Mr. Jackson while he spoke. These days interviewers don't let their subjects speak.
I’m now a 70yo Disabled Veteran. I remember my grandfather taking me for walks when I was probably around 5yo. I loved my grandfather. He was a WW1 soldier. He lived with us when I was growing up. I remember my mother regulating his alcohol consumption. After he returned to NY after the war he worked for the Long Island Lighting Company and ultimately retired from that company. He ultimately ended up being moved to a nursing home when I was in Junior High School. I still remember that day because I was on the school bus going home and I saw an ambulance going the other way and my father’s car following the ambulance. It was just by chance that I was looking out the window sitting on the bus to see that. My grandfather was a good man and I still miss him to this day. I pray that when I die that I will see him and my dad again. Amen.
My grandfather James Connell 3014 joined the Royal Munster Fusiliers in September 1914, he landed at Suvla Gallipoli on 6th August 1915, he went to Salonika later in 1915, later he went to Jerusalem, he got Malaria from Salonika, he was in hospital 9 months and at the very end of the war he was transferred to the Army Service Corps. He later joined the Irish Free State Air Corps. He died of TB in 1923, I believe the Malaria contributed to him dying from TB age 27. I saw this film in the cinema when it came out, deathly silence when it ended! A brilliant film.
My grandfather was nearly 16 when he enlisted and he survived the war to the end. Born in Camberwell, London he joined up for an adventure. He fought at the Somme. Soldiers told him to tell his real age and get out of this hell. He didn’t. He was wounded and taken prisoner. He saw out the war as a POW. He raised me in the early 60’s and shared his stories with me, particularly about trench warfare. Terrible. I remember as a 10 year old having to get my grandad out of the bath, dry him down and literally drag him across the floor and try and put him back into bed when he had his seizures. He also fought in WW2 after the Japs bombed Darwin and Broome. He was wounded again. He lived to age 90. He was my hero and close friend. He gave me his medals not long before he passed.
A a darkly poetic way I share a similar story to Peter Jackson where my existance is due to the war. My German great grandfather was in the cavalry due to being so tall and was shot in the arm on the western front. While in hospital, he fell in love with the nurse and married her (she was my great grand mother). Sadly in the ww2, he was sent to the western front again and became an American PoW but fortunately he was reunited with the family years after the war ended. My grand mother who was born and grew up during ww2 ,vividly recalls Hitler on the radio and what Germany was like then and lived through the allied bombing raids over Cologne and still has a bible her mom would tell her to read during the raids as a distraction. She eventually went to the UK to study languages at Sheffiled Univeristy where she met my grand father (A Nigerian while Nigeria was still a british colony). My grand father faced discrimination because he was black and my grand-mother faced discrimnation when people realised she was German as she had an impecible British accent. She never harboured any ill will and understood the moods and feelings behind the hostility and met some wonderful brits along the way. She then migrated to Nigeria with my grandfather and left during the Nigerian Civil war and is now retired in London.
Thanks for letting Peter talk, Dan. I suppose it must be very tempting to air one's own thoughts when you are both so intrigued by the subject. I would have to try really hard to zip it and draw forth the thoughts of my guest.
Oh, I would love to check out the film. As far as I know, 2 of my great-grandfathers fought in WWI. One was a Brit living in Canada in the army. The other was British in the Royal Artillery, he was a driver. They both joined the war in 1916. The Canadian was 33 (previously fought in the Boer War). He was gassed in the battle of Ypres and lost a lung. The other was 17 driving horses with canon and they found out his age and sent him home. He went back when he turned 18. He severed in the military until he retired I believe.
I watched They Shall Not Grow Old during the pandemic on Amazon Prime and I thought it was absolutely amazing. My Great grandfather (on my mum's side) lied about his age and joined up at 14 and he served with The Royal Leicestershire Regiment and he retired as the RSM.
I have the DVD. The restoration is breathtaking. To see this footage as if it were taken today, just brings new perspective to this insane war, as we view those men in a new light.
My great grandfather was one of the 1914 guys. He had already served 7 yrs in the Royal Highlanders (2nd Battalion). He had spent time in India and was listed as being in an area that is now in Pakistan, in the 1911 census. He was discharged due to his injuries in 1916.
I’ve seen this documentary three times. I have the diary of a woman from my city who was the first nurse anesthetist to serve in battle, at Passchendaele, and wanted to see footage of nurses and medical situations in general; I have her photo albums also, but film is fascinating.
My Grandfather was wounded at the Somme, taken back to Etaples, patched up at a military hospital and returned to the 5th West Yorkshire regiment, survived Passiondele and returned home, he died in 1932 a complete cripple, the four pieces of Schrapnel in his back got him in the end.
I watched this when it first came out. I have the dvd. I went to the battlefields in Belgium in 2018 to pay my respects. I am now watching the BBC series on dvd of The Great War. Thank you, Mr. Jackson for your film. This should be shown in every classroom, every university, all over the world. It won't be. More is the pity.
This documentary was beautiful. I wish there was more high quality, current media about WW1. It seems like it's fading and has absolutely been overshadowed by WW2. As a historian I know very well the dangers of forgetting history and WW1 is something we don't want to repeat. Certainly not with today's technology.
Not with today's technology, but certainly not with tomorrow's technology. Take the leaps and bounds that science advanced by and apply that to what we have and might have.
TSNGO is absolutely INCREDIBLE. I bought a new DVD player because at the time the only copy of it I could get was for a different media zone, but I had to have it (I saw it originally in IMAX, which was . . . an experience).
As amazing as the footage is, even the part where the men attack the German lines which doesn’t show the fighting described, is the most terrifying and heart-pounding depiction of combat I have ever experienced. It’s maybe impossible to truly feel what those brave men went through but that is as close as I can imagine getting.
All of my great-grand fathers and great-uncles survived the war, but every one was wounded to varying degrees. One was severely burned by a flame thrower, losing his right arm and eye. After being discharged, he scorned being a 'charity case' and got a suitable job for someone with his injuries - he became a swimming instructor!
I’ve watched They Shall Not Grow Old multiple times & it never fails to leave me speechless. Not only is it an exceptionally poignant film, it’s a technical masterpiece of restoration. I often wonder if any of those seen on screen is my great grandfather, who sadly is amongst the thousands who’s body was never recovered. Private Harry Jones 16/121 1st Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment 1892 - 8th Oct 1918
My grandfather fought in WWI. Discharged due to battle injuries during the war, he eventually died of those injuries in 1932. He isn't on any lists or memorials.
19:31 The Red Baron was shot down by an Australian soldier, from the ground. Not by another plane as is often said. There was a research documentary on this, where they looked at all the evidence and did firing tests with period guns. It turns out the most likely person to have shot him was indeed a soldier. Some of the bits of the plane are in a local museum, including the seat. This has a row of three holes, which the curators thought were machine gun bullets, which must've killed the Red Baron. Unfortunately, they were rivet holes, to keep the seat in place. Too small, perfectly drilled and perfectly aligned. Based on reports, they found two possible soldiers, who were under the dog fight and were shooting up at the plane. They even had a decent location of where they were, so they did tests and realised it was not only possible but the most likely scenario. I can't for the life of me remember where I saw the documentary or what channel made it. It was late 90's/early 2000's British made for tv. Pretty large scale production and a decent budget. They got a plane in the air and everything.
The line where he said "i shot him, i had to! He would have died in any case... It hurt me". That really sticks with me the pain in his voice haunts my very being thinking about this war.
I wonder if the connection between his passion for the Great War and his work on LOR might be influenced by JRR Tolkien’s time in the trenches as well.
I know it's a lot of work, but I really could use some proper closed captions for these videos. This one and the one with Sir Ridley Scott were hard to understand at times and the captions would be helpful
I know my great grandfather Thomas Arthur Godfrey 22nd Manchester pals was there at the start until the end of the war, my Nana born in 1921, he also served in ww2 later on and was at Dunkirk. He served in the somme around Montauban , then later Paschendale etc
Nice video... about WW1 circumstances .video also focused on this movie 🎬 🎞 🎥 about someone who survived and talked about his war experiences to his grandson..it was thrilled watching and contained specific information about that World 🌎 War....thank you respectful ( History Hit) channel .
Really just think for historical purposes for younger people and to make both WWI/WWII more relevant to them, should use the very same incredible colorization process Jackson used in this film on lots and lots of old footages of these events that still have so much relevance today.
I couldn't watch this film the first time through because you got the sense that these men were tricked into fighting. They had no idea what was ahead of them and they had nothing to gain from it and everything to lose. This was a war where your own general was as dangerous to you as the enemy. It was a war of rich and powerful men fought by farmers. I know you'll say that all wars are like that but no other was the exemplar that WWI was.
Osteoarthritis is probably what he unfortunately suffered due to lack of skeletal strength. My late mothers family, served in firtst, second, korea, cuba missile crisis. They have a bronze penny as given to all those that lost a family member in the wars to end all wars. My favourite first world war aeroplane is the DeHavilland Pusher .
The figures of those who died early as a result of their war service will be shocking. Many committed suicide. I've seen the film twice: the first time when it came out and then again last year on Anzac Day when it was shown in a local theatre. I cry. Making the film look more modern makes it seem more recent.
The only reason 'old films' from pre-sound era (1929 and before) will look jerky and too fast is that they are being played back at the wrong speed. Pre-sound era was filmed at anywhere between 16-20 frames per second (variable too) If they are projected at sound speed of 24 frames per second of course they will look fast and jerky. It is a simple matter in most editing programs to slow down to the correct speed AND reproduce the correct aspect ratio - usually 1.37:1 for pre sound 35mm film.
It might be an idea to let viewrs know that the content being uploaded/presented "today" is NOT a new documentary, but one that is 5 years old, even though it is a brilliant documentary. "They Shall Not Grow Old" was released in 2018!!
Surely the correct wording is “They shall grow not old” - at least it was at every Remembrance Service that I have attended, which is very, very many since I first joined a church choir at age 6, 70 years ago. Just a little point, but important to get it correct I think, considering the influence that all the broadcast media have on modern life. My great uncle Albert Hunt was killed along with the entire crew on HM S/M E3, the very first British submarine lost to enemy action in October 1914. I think I am fortunate to have only the one relative killed in wartime service, considering the carnage of two world wars and all the fighting since, and even more fortunate that I haven’t had to serve as they did, so am very grateful for all their sacrifice.
Wonderful film and so good of Peter Jackson to highlight the sacrifice of these men. My 18 year old grandfather was among them with the 1st South African Infantry Brigade, attached to the 9th Scottish Division. He was wounded on the 20th of September during the Battle of Menin Road Ridge. (Passchendaele).
I've watched this on blueray many times and it's mesmerising. I just wish Jackson did his homework and got the title right. It's 'They Shall Grow Not Old'.😒
There is also the Beatles documentary "Get Back" that he applied his studio's technological AI capabilities to clean up and up-grade old Beatles footages, it's mind blowing The recent Beatles song "Now and then" was made possible when Peter Jackson offered his studio's new sound technology to clarify and extract John Lennon's voice from his old fuzzy home made tape recordings, which enable for Paul and Ringo to finally complete their recordings from the 1995 Beatles Anthology.
I saw this film in 3D (in the states) and people in the audience actually started to flinch when the artillery rounds began to splash in! So good! One of my favorite films! 🫡🇬🇧
Peter Jackson and first world war related things don’t miss, they shall not grow old and arguably he created a live action trilogy of LOTR which tolkein began writing in the trenches
Whether he knows it or not, I think Peter Jackson preserved a piece of history told in an away that Hollywood never could, or ever would.
No unnecessary drama, nor detraction from the brutal truth of war. Just putting a relatable human face on 100 year old footage and letting the broader story be told from people who were there.
I cannot articulate just how valuable this is for the public memory of the conflict and his work should be shown in every British school.
Hollywood will never make a realistic movie about WW 1. The USA was only involved in a small scale, and only after it was clear that the Germans and Austrians were about to be driven back into a check mate position. The countries who were invested fully are the only countries who will try to explore those times.
Not just British schools, but at least in any country that was involved and English speaking (unless there are good translations out there). It's a fantastic movie and as Dan Snow and Peter Jackson point out, it brings an immediacy, a realness, and a compelling viewing of something that happened over 100 years ago.
I took a half day off of work in my 20s to watch this film at my local cinema. I was surrounded by older men around Peters age with many veterans in the audience. I loved every minute of it.
It was a profound experience to see the old black and white footage be transformed into colour. Peter's right, whilst the old footage depicts real men, they almost feel like ghosts and any emotional connection is muted. With the restoration and tasteful sound additions it's like transforming those people back into real human beings.
I think that's what got to me, because you're right. Black and white feels 'old', it's so removed, and strangely detached from reality, if that makes sense. Black and white looks like history, but you put just that subtle dash of colour to it, and they're people, it's living and breathing.
My Great Grandfather was with the 3rd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment in 1915. They were dug in South East of Hill 60.
He was shot 3 times in the right shoulder and bayoneted through the lung. Never fully recovered from the wounds and died in 1950. My Grandma said he used to stand in the street and yell at the Luftwaffe when they flew over during the blitz.
His name was Walter Ernest Perry. There’s one for your figures Dan!
Thank you so much for sharing this, @Super_tramp142! That is an amazing story. The vision I now have in my mind's eye of your great-grandfather yelling at the Luftwaffe will be henceforth shared far and wide. Though I'm sure there was real rage present, the image is quite funny!
For your grandfather….
🫡
at least your Great Grandfather had some great sauce !! My Grandfather went to Gallipoli and rode all over Palestine, and good on your Great Grandfather for keeping his fighting spirit and yelling at the Luftwaffe in defiance
Full respect to him, and thanks for sharing his incredible story.
I loved this documentary so SO much. It is an utter masterpiece. Any one who is a massive fan of that period needs and i mean NEEDS to watch it
Yes,its incredible.Its as though it happened yesterday in a way cos its so real.
It's on this Sunday at my local community cinema. I'm going to go see it.
@@lemon__j 10000% worth it.
Apocalypse World War One is MUCH better. All on UA-cam. Five hours. Amazing work and detail.
@@spookyt8692 I SHALL be the judge of that. one doubts its "much" better, if at all but I shan't dismiss it.
A well done interview,congratulations to Dan Snow for letting Peter Jackson speak without interruption.
Just that chatty introduction between two complete enthusiasts about how you track starter survivors, and post war casualties was so telling, gentlemen I salute you, doing the right thing for the right reasons.
I absolutely love Lord of the Rings, but in my mind They Shall Not Grow Old is Peter Jackson's sleeper masterpiece. Absolutely spectacular documentary
i agree i can't fault LOTR , love it, but they Shall not Grow old is one of the most important films ever , also love Braindead and Bad Taste :)
The way Peter talks at 13:40 about the reason his father came to New Zealand is very much a similar reason my grandfather immigrated to New Zealand after his service in Korea
I watched this masterpiece in the movie theater when it came out here in the States.I honestly broke down in tears at the scene of the troops waiting in the sunken road waiting to go over to the attack. I've seen this footage before but Jacksons work cleaning up the film allowed me to see despite the usual smiles the fear and and the resigination in the men's eyes that told me that they realized that they were doomed. That scene allowed me a glimpe of my great-uncle Edmund who could have gotten out of frontline duty as a Chaplain and instead served as an infantry officer in the 320th Regiment of the 80th Infantry Division of the US Army. He was killed in action two months before the armistice went into effect in 1918. I'm forever grateful to Mr. Jackson for giving me a small glimpse into what my Grandmother's brother experienced on the Western Front.
Jackson not only remastered, and colorized; the software normalized the playback speed. No more comically paced film. That's the part that brings it all home for me.
I went to Peter Jackson's studio when I home exchanged in Wellington, NZ. The film is a masterpiece.
Is there anything Peter Jackson can't do?! 1st class work, as always...as brilliant as the film is, it's also a very sobering film to watch😢 LEST WE FORGET 🇦🇺 🇬🇧
Well done Peter Jackson snd well done History Hit for raising awareness of this wonderful work
Great interview. My grandfather, Roger Frederick Kenyon, went to France and worked with the horses that pulled the artillery. He was from Liverpool, but I've never been able to find what unit he joined. He came back in 1919, but a very changed man, maybe gassed, but he didn't get on well with his sons Tom and Fred, my Dad. One went to British Guiana as it was then, and my father went to sea, on a tramp ship, with passengers and cargo, travelling from Chile through the Panama Canal, Cuba and on to New York, from 1922 till 1932 when there were neither passengers nor cargo !
Having read a lot of war history, been told about it and watched a fair few documentaries, bringing history to life in They Shall Not Grow Old blew my mind. It should be shown in schools out of necessity when they're studying the period. Peter Jackson's work and approach, also with the Beatles, is inspired and outstanding.
That piece, at the end of the documentary, by the lads from the British Consolate in New Zealand singing, _Mademoiselle from Armentières_ was a genuine stroke of inspired genius.
Thank you Peter for making this and thanks Dan for a most excellent interview.
This is really, really good colourisation. I have seen the 1980s work and it wasn't very good. This is top notch, excellent. You now see the original colours from that time.
What a bloody legend!! Keep up the good work Peter.
Peter Jackson is a brilliant filmmaker. I enjoy everything he produces.
My paternal grandfather was born in Newport in 1898. His military record says he was born in 1896. He’d lied about his age and joined up with the Staffordshires when he was 16. He was sent to Gallipoli. He survived that and was sent to the Somme. He was shot in the hand but ended up back on the Somme after convalescence. He survived the war and then died of stomach cancer in December 1959, aged 61. I was born in January 1959, unfortunately, I have no memories of him.
I loved this documentary. Very thankful for the work.
It was such a powerful watch, and a truly wonderful, and moving and thoughtfully made piece of documentary history.
Wow...just saw this doc this past weekend. The work that went into restoring the old films and the voice tapes...👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽. It was quite startingly to see these young soldiers staring at the camera...it felt like they were looking right at you. 😮
Edit: Kudos to the interviewer for his enthusiasim and for not interuppting Mr. Jackson while he spoke. These days interviewers don't let their subjects speak.
I’m now a 70yo Disabled Veteran. I remember my grandfather taking me for walks when I was probably around 5yo. I loved my grandfather. He was a WW1 soldier. He lived with us when I was growing up. I remember my mother regulating his alcohol consumption. After he returned to NY after the war he worked for the Long Island Lighting Company and ultimately retired from that company.
He ultimately ended up being moved to a nursing home when I was in Junior High School. I still remember that day because I was on the school bus going home and I saw an ambulance going the other way and my father’s car following the ambulance. It was just by chance that I was looking out the window sitting on the bus to see that. My grandfather was a good man and I still miss him to this day. I pray that when I die that I will see him and my dad again. Amen.
Great video about a great film ... thank you for posting.
My grandfather James Connell 3014 joined the Royal Munster Fusiliers in September 1914, he landed at Suvla Gallipoli on 6th August 1915, he went to Salonika later in 1915, later he went to Jerusalem, he got Malaria from Salonika, he was in hospital 9 months and at the very end of the war he was transferred to the Army Service Corps. He later joined the Irish Free State Air Corps. He died of TB in 1923, I believe the Malaria contributed to him dying from TB age 27. I saw this film in the cinema when it came out, deathly silence when it ended! A brilliant film.
I have been blessed to have known Veterans from WWI to present day. All kinds of nations. Thier stories need to be saved and shared.
My grandfather was nearly 16 when he enlisted and he survived the war to the end. Born in Camberwell, London he joined up for an adventure. He fought at the Somme. Soldiers told him to tell his real age and get out of this hell. He didn’t. He was wounded and taken prisoner. He saw out the war as a POW. He raised me in the early 60’s and shared his stories with me, particularly about trench warfare. Terrible. I remember as a 10 year old having to get my grandad out of the bath, dry him down and literally drag him across the floor and try and put him back into bed when he had his seizures. He also fought in WW2 after the Japs bombed Darwin and Broome. He was wounded again. He lived to age 90. He was my hero and close friend. He gave me his medals not long before he passed.
This work is incredibly important...and utterly unique. Thank you so much....
A a darkly poetic way I share a similar story to Peter Jackson where my existance is due to the war. My German great grandfather was in the cavalry due to being so tall and was shot in the arm on the western front. While in hospital, he fell in love with the nurse and married her (she was my great grand mother). Sadly in the ww2, he was sent to the western front again and became an American PoW but fortunately he was reunited with the family years after the war ended.
My grand mother who was born and grew up during ww2 ,vividly recalls Hitler on the radio and what Germany was like then and lived through the allied bombing raids over Cologne and still has a bible her mom would tell her to read during the raids as a distraction. She eventually went to the UK to study languages at Sheffiled Univeristy where she met my grand father (A Nigerian while Nigeria was still a british colony). My grand father faced discrimination because he was black and my grand-mother faced discrimnation when people realised she was German as she had an impecible British accent. She never harboured any ill will and understood the moods and feelings behind the hostility and met some wonderful brits along the way. She then migrated to Nigeria with my grandfather and left during the Nigerian Civil war and is now retired in London.
Wow, that is a rollercoaster of a backstory!
@@StarWarsomania thanks.
Such an amazing film. My NZ grandfather fought at Gallipoli and Passchendaele, wounded 3 times
Wonderful episode! Thank you!
Thanks for letting Peter talk, Dan. I suppose it must be very tempting to air one's own thoughts when you are both so intrigued by the subject. I would have to try really hard to zip it and draw forth the thoughts of my guest.
Oh, I would love to check out the film. As far as I know, 2 of my great-grandfathers fought in WWI. One was a Brit living in Canada in the army. The other was British in the Royal Artillery, he was a driver.
They both joined the war in 1916. The Canadian was 33 (previously fought in the Boer War). He was gassed in the battle of Ypres and lost a lung. The other was 17 driving horses with canon and they found out his age and sent him home. He went back when he turned 18. He severed in the military until he retired I believe.
Absolutely fantastic documentary ! Incredible work behind it
Great interview Dan.
Thanks for going this Peter.
My Paternal Grandpa was in the 371st US Colored Infantry Regiment🇺🇸
God bless your Grandpa!🇺🇸💪
I watched They Shall Not Grow Old during the pandemic on Amazon Prime and I thought it was absolutely amazing.
My Great grandfather (on my mum's side) lied about his age and joined up at 14 and he served with The Royal Leicestershire Regiment and he retired as the RSM.
I have the DVD. The restoration is breathtaking. To see this footage as if it were taken today, just brings new perspective to this insane war, as we view those men in a new light.
Peter Jackson has 100 hours of upscaled footage. 100 hours! he should do more!
I cried at the horses wounded and killed. Animals should not be involved in mankinds evil doings.
i couldnt agree more. although at that time the boys fighting were basically animals to the powers using them.
I show it to my Canadian History students and they find it very interesting especially when the sound and colour starts.
Great documentary and such a wonderful film
Fantastic. Cheers
It's an amazing documentary. Full stop.
My great grandfather was one of the 1914 guys. He had already served 7 yrs in the Royal Highlanders (2nd Battalion). He had spent time in India and was listed as being in an area that is now in Pakistan, in the 1911 census. He was discharged due to his injuries in 1916.
Simply amazing we'll never forget the sacrifice of all the soldiers ❤
A brilliant beautiful film, moving beyond words, the dead brought back to life to tell their story. Thank you Mr Jackson.
I’ve seen this documentary three times. I have the diary of a woman from my city who was the first nurse anesthetist to serve in battle, at Passchendaele, and wanted to see footage of nurses and medical situations in general; I have her photo albums also, but film is fascinating.
Wonderful thank you for this. My great grandfather was with the 87th brigade as well with the 1st Inniskillings
My Grandfather was wounded at the Somme, taken back to Etaples, patched up at a military hospital and returned to the 5th West Yorkshire regiment, survived Passiondele and returned home, he died in 1932 a complete cripple, the four pieces of Schrapnel in his back got him in the end.
Totally underrated film. Wish is was a 10 part series instead of just a movie, but i get it, that wouldve taken a shit load of time to do
I did my family tree and my great uncle was in the British Army from 1913 and he survived the whole war. They make us Brummies tough. 🇬🇧♥️
I watched it with my youngest son and daughter. They both watched and were amazed.
I watched this when it first came out. I have the dvd. I went to the battlefields in Belgium in 2018 to pay my respects.
I am now watching the BBC series on dvd of The Great War.
Thank you, Mr. Jackson for your film.
This should be shown in every classroom, every university, all over the world.
It won't be. More is the pity.
This documentary was beautiful. I wish there was more high quality, current media about WW1. It seems like it's fading and has absolutely been overshadowed by WW2. As a historian I know very well the dangers of forgetting history and WW1 is something we don't want to repeat. Certainly not with today's technology.
Not with today's technology, but certainly not with tomorrow's technology. Take the leaps and bounds that science advanced by and apply that to what we have and might have.
TSNGO is absolutely INCREDIBLE. I bought a new DVD player because at the time the only copy of it I could get was for a different media zone, but I had to have it (I saw it originally in IMAX, which was . . . an experience).
As amazing as the footage is, even the part where the men attack the German lines which doesn’t show the fighting described, is the most terrifying and heart-pounding depiction of combat I have ever experienced. It’s maybe impossible to truly feel what those brave men went through but that is as close as I can imagine getting.
All of my great-grand fathers and great-uncles survived the war, but every one was wounded to varying degrees. One was severely burned by a flame thrower, losing his right arm and eye. After being discharged, he scorned being a 'charity case' and got a suitable job for someone with his injuries - he became a swimming instructor!
I’ve watched They Shall Not Grow Old multiple times & it never fails to leave me speechless. Not only is it an exceptionally poignant film, it’s a technical masterpiece of restoration.
I often wonder if any of those seen on screen is my great grandfather, who sadly is amongst the thousands who’s body was never recovered.
Private Harry Jones
16/121 1st Battalion
West Yorkshire Regiment
1892 - 8th Oct 1918
My grandfather fought in WWI. Discharged due to battle injuries during the war, he eventually died of those injuries in 1932. He isn't on any lists or memorials.
I was lucky enough to see this masterpiece.
This was fantastic
19:31 The Red Baron was shot down by an Australian soldier, from the ground. Not by another plane as is often said. There was a research documentary on this, where they looked at all the evidence and did firing tests with period guns. It turns out the most likely person to have shot him was indeed a soldier.
Some of the bits of the plane are in a local museum, including the seat. This has a row of three holes, which the curators thought were machine gun bullets, which must've killed the Red Baron. Unfortunately, they were rivet holes, to keep the seat in place. Too small, perfectly drilled and perfectly aligned.
Based on reports, they found two possible soldiers, who were under the dog fight and were shooting up at the plane. They even had a decent location of where they were, so they did tests and realised it was not only possible but the most likely scenario.
I can't for the life of me remember where I saw the documentary or what channel made it. It was late 90's/early 2000's British made for tv. Pretty large scale production and a decent budget. They got a plane in the air and everything.
The line where he said "i shot him, i had to! He would have died in any case... It hurt me". That really sticks with me the pain in his voice haunts my very being thinking about this war.
This documentary inspired me honor WWI and bring it back to memory of people.
Great interview
I wonder if the connection between his passion for the Great War and his work on LOR might be influenced by JRR Tolkien’s time in the trenches as well.
A masterpiece it is indeed.
I know it's a lot of work, but I really could use some proper closed captions for these videos. This one and the one with Sir Ridley Scott were hard to understand at times and the captions would be helpful
Clever Chap Peter Jackson.
I know my great grandfather Thomas Arthur Godfrey 22nd Manchester pals was there at the start until the end of the war, my Nana born in 1921, he also served in ww2 later on and was at Dunkirk. He served in the somme around Montauban , then later Paschendale etc
Nice video... about WW1 circumstances .video also focused on this movie 🎬 🎞 🎥 about someone who survived and talked about his war experiences to his grandson..it was thrilled watching and contained specific information about that World 🌎 War....thank you respectful ( History Hit) channel .
Grandad Robert volunteered. He came back but apparently was never the same.
Really just think for historical purposes for younger people and to make both WWI/WWII more relevant to them, should use the very same incredible colorization process Jackson used in this film on lots and lots of old footages of these events that still have so much relevance today.
I couldn't watch this film the first time through because you got the sense that these men were tricked into fighting. They had no idea what was ahead of them and they had nothing to gain from it and everything to lose. This was a war where your own general was as dangerous to you as the enemy. It was a war of rich and powerful men fought by farmers.
I know you'll say that all wars are like that but no other was the exemplar that WWI was.
Osteoarthritis is probably what he unfortunately suffered due to lack of skeletal strength.
My late mothers family, served in firtst, second, korea, cuba missile crisis.
They have a bronze penny as given to all those that lost a family member in the wars to end all wars.
My favourite first world war aeroplane is the DeHavilland Pusher .
My paternal grandmother's fiancé was killed during WWI, she subsequently met my grandfather when he was demobbed and my family exists.
The figures of those who died early as a result of their war service will be shocking. Many committed suicide. I've seen the film twice: the first time when it came out and then again last year on Anzac Day when it was shown in a local theatre. I cry. Making the film look more modern makes it seem more recent.
Still wish they would release the 3D conversion version, to match the corrected frame rate and color.
The only reason 'old films' from pre-sound era (1929 and before) will look jerky and too fast is that they are being played back at the wrong speed. Pre-sound era was filmed at anywhere between 16-20 frames per second (variable too) If they are projected at sound speed of 24 frames per second of course they will look fast and jerky. It is a simple matter in most editing programs to slow down to the correct speed AND reproduce the correct aspect ratio - usually 1.37:1 for pre sound 35mm film.
Would love to see Peter Jackson do a remake of Zulu. I know he's a fan, it was the inspiration when making the battle of Helms Deep in LoR.
I'm pretty sure I have one who survived the whole war and then died during 1919 in Ireland, he was a mine sweeper.
Thanks, Pe'eh!
It might be an idea to let viewrs know that the content being uploaded/presented "today" is NOT a new documentary, but one that is 5 years old, even though it is a brilliant documentary. "They Shall Not Grow Old" was released in 2018!!
I’m interested to learn that Peter’s grandfather fought and was injured in the same Gallipoli battle in which my great grandfather was killed.
Surely the correct wording is “They shall grow not old” - at least it was at every Remembrance Service that I have attended, which is very, very many since I first joined a church choir at age 6, 70 years ago. Just a little point, but important to get it correct I think, considering the influence that all the broadcast media have on modern life. My great uncle Albert Hunt was killed along with the entire crew on HM S/M E3, the very first British submarine lost to enemy action in October 1914. I think I am fortunate to have only the one relative killed in wartime service, considering the carnage of two world wars and all the fighting since, and even more fortunate that I haven’t had to serve as they did, so am very grateful for all their sacrifice.
Wonderful film and so good of Peter Jackson to highlight the sacrifice of these men. My 18 year old grandfather was among them with the 1st South African Infantry Brigade, attached to the 9th Scottish Division. He was wounded on the 20th of September during the Battle of Menin Road Ridge. (Passchendaele).
Peter, like me, always has a cuppa in his hand😊
Peter,would love you to make BIRDSONG !!!! Sebastian Faulks and do one of the greatest stories justice 👍👍👍👍
I've watched this on blueray many times and it's mesmerising. I just wish Jackson did his homework and got the title right. It's 'They Shall Grow Not Old'.😒
20:30 Jesus fucking Christ. I had my volume at max cause it was so low in the video. That "thanks" was so loud I now genuinely have a headache.
I wondered what had happened to him. It was like the LOTR Triology had dominated his career. Glad to see him doing something as impactful.
There is also the Beatles documentary "Get Back" that he applied his studio's technological AI capabilities to clean up and up-grade old Beatles footages, it's mind blowing
The recent Beatles song "Now and then" was made possible when Peter Jackson offered his studio's new sound technology to clarify and extract John Lennon's voice from his old fuzzy home made tape recordings, which enable for Paul and Ringo to finally complete their recordings from the 1995 Beatles Anthology.
I saw this film in 3D (in the states) and people in the audience actually started to flinch when the artillery rounds began to splash in! So good! One of my favorite films! 🫡🇬🇧
Holy crap! I had to slow this down to .75 just so i could understand only 5 words of what Jaxkson was mumbling about. Take a Xanax Peter!
I turned on the subtitles, but they were't entirely helpful!
Peter Jackson and first world war related things don’t miss, they shall not grow old and arguably he created a live action trilogy of LOTR which tolkein began writing in the trenches
Peter can be really hard to understand sometimes 😅
Yes he is! Kind of rambles off into a mutter. 😂
He was always quite introverted and shy, which comes across still in interviews like this.