World War 1 was one of the deadliest battles in the history of mankind, with over 17 million people dying over a span of 4 years. The atrocities committed on the battlefield continue to echo history textbooks and class conversations, but the impact seems to become more distant with every year. In other words, although classrooms provide a necessary space to learn more about the subject matter, there is no supplement for the immersive experience a movie provides. That is exactly what director Peter Jackson hoped to accomplish through his original rendition of WWI – They Shall Not Grow Old. However, even after recognizing all of this, there remains one question that continues to persist; What impact did the restoration of the archival WWI footage have on the audiences’ understanding of the time period?

As someone who lives in a generation dozens of years removed from the WWI, I think that many people are disconnected from the subject matter. This sentiment changed after watching the film. Rather, the movie bridged the gap between the facts and the feelings that the war-induced over a century ago. Unlike traditional textbooks and editorials, They Shall Not Grow Old, made the experience of the petty soldier accessible to the masses. It vanquished the need to travel to the archives and transformed the experiences into an easily digestible, yet heartfelt and impactful discussion that anyone could partake in, regardless of educational background. The appreciation to detail the director took to ensure the replication of the atmosphere during the war, took the authenticity of the movie to a whole new level.

Furthermore, Jackson’s credibility as a director and the techniques he implemented in order to modernize the footage created a piece easily consumable by the 21st-century citizen. After the credits of the film, Jackson goes into detail explaining the painstaking work that went into colorizing the old footage and cataloging the recordings. This process was only the first step in turning the archives into the movie magic that encapsulated the screen. By removing any hindrances, scratchy film, shaky footage, muffled audio, to the audiences, Jackson sets the scene for one of the most original and creative renditions of WW1. In doing so, he manages to transform raw materials into something much greater than any of the individual parts.

Throughout the film, They Shall Not Grow Old, Jackson incorporates many interesting cinematic techniques and truly shifts the focus away from the digital. Thanks to this, the movie was able to capture the feelings, aspirations, and experiences of the common soldier. By modernizing the archived film, the director transports the viewer into the past where they experience first-hand the soldiers’ feelings about conflict, a combatants experience, and their dreams for the future.