Peter Jackson WW1 documentary

[ex-khobar Andy]

We went yesterday to ‘They Shall Not Grow Old’ - Peter Jackson’s restoration of WW1 footage. I saw a review in NYT which intrigued me - my grandfather was wounded at the Battle of Arras in 1917 and limped all his life, so I felt as if I had a close personal connection.

I am not a great fan of colorization, usually for artistic reasons. It’s often clumsy and unnecessary but then I probably have not seen colorized footage for 10 years or more. The technology has changed of course. There is, after the main movie, a 30 minute explanation of the techniques used to smooth the film, restore it to a decent exposure and to add realistic sound. Peter Jackson (as in LOTR) has always been a WW1 buff and it showed: apparently he took no fee for the movie.

The US release is on two days only: Dec 17 and Dec 27. It deals only with the life of the average British soldier, and while there is contextual mention of the Commonwealth and US and French troops as well, of course, as the Germans, it is very much a British production. The Imperial War Museum has (IIRC) around 100 hours of footage, much of which is second or third generation copies, and Jackson restored all of it even though he used only a tiny fraction. The BBC did interviews with survivors in the 60s and 70s to preserve their stories and these are used as appropriate. There is no narrator.

It started at 7. We got there, as we usually do, a few minutes after because it seems that the trailers and ads go for longer and longer every time and it’s unusual these days for the movie to start before 20 minutes after showtime. The theater was crowded and the movie had already started and we could not find seats together.

If you have not seen it CANCEL ANY OTHER PLANS YOU HAVE FOR DEC 27TH. Here it will be shown at 4 PM and 7 PM. We shall probably go again. Get there before the advertised showtime as there are no preliminaries. Stay for the added 30 minute ‘bonus’ on the technology. I do not know if there are plans for a more general release.

Edited to correct a ypo.

[ex-khobar Andy]

'Edited to correct a ypo.'

There's a joke there somewhere. I'll let Ray do it.

[Burning Petard]

I and my poosslq saw 'Mule' today. Both thought it was a great movie. Before this there was a trailer for the above documentary, with the notice that it would be shown on Dec 27. Went to the Cinemark web page and fund ZERO entries for it. Called the theater. Nope, not gonna show it. Called corp Hq and they said it would be in their theater in Towson Md--only a two hour drive one way for me. I used offensive language to the phone desk human I was talking with, after warning him I knew there was nothing he could do to change the business model that thinks it make sense to show trailers of movies they will not show.

After reading the comment in NY Times today, and reading the note above, I am considering a pilgrimage to Towson. We have been killing Americans and other people in Afghanistan for more than 17 years now without a declaration of war. Veep Biden sent his own son to serve there. But the 'good intentions' to kill these people in Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan until they understand they are better off if they just do things our way still baffles me. In Afghanistan, they clearly just want foreigners to get the hell out and leave them alone. Americans should be able to understand that sentiment.

snailgate.

[RayThom]

Like ex-kA, I, too, am not a fan of colorization but in this case it actually adds life to every soldier in it. Almost as if a broadcast news journalist was presenting a battle in progress for the nightly news.

Every soldier I see has been dead for generations yet I feel like they can almost be touched, with something to say if asked.

Amazing -- epic, and so surreal.

[ex-khobar Andy]

It's also in 3D which I didn't know until they handed me the glasses. The last time I was at a 3D movie (don't remember what it was - probably 10+ years ago) I hated those glasses and I actually felt a little nauseated. If I had known I might not have gone to the movie. But as it was I put them on and just forgot all about them - the 3D effect was subtle and not 'in your face' - again, I assume that the technology has advanced.

Ray is absolutely right: the clarity and the colorization adds life to the men which is what it's all about. There is no attempt to examine the causes of the war and no battle maps it's just about the guys who were there and fought. And much of 'fighting' is not shooting a rifle but simply existing from day to day.

[BoSoxGal]

Many thanks for posting about this documentary!

My own ticket for next Thursday is purchased, and I’ll be inviting my ‘adopted’ parents to join me when I see them Tuesday - he’s a huge history buff. I’m so grateful that a theater only 10 miles from my home is showing it so I won’t miss the chance to see it on the big screen.

Like you I usually show up late with extensive previews in mind, but this time I’ll be sure to get there early - and I’ll pack two hankies, just in case; these days I get very emotional contemplating lives wasted by the foolishness of the powers that be.

[ex-khobar Andy]

Another reason for getting there early is that, at least in the case of our local flea-pit, the place was crowded. Normally we show up a few minutes after the posted time and we can pick and choose where we sit. We had to find separate seats because there were no pairs available that I could see.

[Burning Petard]

Ray clued me in to another brand of movie theater which is showing it next Thursday and it is practically in my neighborhood. Most of the movie places around here now sell tickets for specific seats. When I bought my tickets on the web on the 19th they were showing it only at one time, but in two theaters. One was already sold out, except for three places reserved for wheel chairs. The second one had about half the seats already sold.

Seems there is interest in this documentary, but the theater managers are reluctant to give it space over the comic book stuff.

snailgate