Summary:Using state of the art technology to restore original archival footage which is more than a 100-years old, Jackson brings to life the people who can best tell this story: the men who were there. Driven by a personal interest in the First World War, Jackson set out to bring to life the day-to-day experience of its soldiers. After monthsUsing state of the art technology to restore original archival footage which is more than a 100-years old, Jackson brings to life the people who can best tell this story: the men who were there. Driven by a personal interest in the First World War, Jackson set out to bring to life the day-to-day experience of its soldiers. After months immersed in the BBC and Imperial War Museums’ archives, narratives and strategies on how to tell this story began to emerge for Jackson. Using the voices of the men involved, the film explores the reality of war on the front line; their attitudes to the conflict; how they ate; slept and formed friendships, as well what their lives were like away from the trenches during their periods of downtime. …Expand
The care that Peter Jackson and Co. put into this movie is incredible. From readjusting each clip's frame speed to taking great care to match the silent film with incredible audio. We have loads of documentaries about the importance of Verdun and the Somme, but very few about the actualThe care that Peter Jackson and Co. put into this movie is incredible. From readjusting each clip's frame speed to taking great care to match the silent film with incredible audio. We have loads of documentaries about the importance of Verdun and the Somme, but very few about the actual stories of soldiers from the war. By having only veterans used for voice overs Jackson has created a picture unlike any other that will likely go down as one of the greatest documentaries in history. The film is around 100 minutes and when it came to its closure, I felt like I could easily sit through another two hours. The stories feel personal and genuine. While the film will offer very few "historical facts" for history enthusiasts and the general public alike to pick up on, the audience is able to understand what it was like to be a soldier. This film is a masterpiece and is a must see for anyone remotely interested in the subject.…Expand
It's certainly interesting to be introduced to the day-to-day tribulations of men who fought in the trenches during WWI, accompanied by some great images. I love war documentaries, and this one was the first of its kind I've seen. Very positive review for that.
The negative thing I need toIt's certainly interesting to be introduced to the day-to-day tribulations of men who fought in the trenches during WWI, accompanied by some great images. I love war documentaries, and this one was the first of its kind I've seen. Very positive review for that.
The negative thing I need to mention is, the trailer for this film shows a few shots of tanks and soldiers that look fantastic--like they've been restored practically to the point of perfection--looking just like a modern piece of film. However, the majority of the visuals in this film are of significantly poorer quality, with still shots and illustrations often substituted for action shots. Obviously there couldn't have been a cameraman available in many of these situations, but when we're looking at an illustration of a combat scene with a voiceover, this is indistinguishable from many other WWI documentaries I've seen. I was hoping for something really monumental, visually. This isn't that.
Definitely worth seeing for WWI buffs, but not the visual masterpiece it's been promoted to be.…Expand
Points for all the hard work for the technological achievement. However, many of the scenes are repeated several times under a voice over of witness accounts that are nothing new. Got bored really fast. Could and should have been cut to half the time.
