World History II

They Shall Not Grow Old (2018)

They Shall Not Grow Old​ is a 2018 ​documentary film​ directed and produced by ​Peter Jackson​. The film was created using original
footage of the ​First World War​ from the ​Imperial War Museum​'s archives, most previously unseen, all over 100 years old by the time
of release. The audio is from ​BBC​ and Imperial War Museum (IWM) interviews of ​British​ servicemen who fought in the conflict.
Most of the footage has been colorized and transformed with modern production techniques, with the addition of ​sound effects​ and
voice acting​ to be more evocative and feel closer to the soldiers' actual experiences. (Wikipedia)

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 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. Jackson and his team have used cutting edge techniques to make
the images of a hundred years ago appear as if they were shot yesterday. The transformation from black and white footage to colorized
footage can be seen throughout the film revealing never before seen details. Reaching into the mists of time, Jackson aims to give
these men voices, investigate the hopes and fears of the veterans, the humility and humanity that represented a generation changed
forever by a global war. (Warner Bros. Ent.)

As you watch this film, think about and respond to the following questions. Remember that this is from the point of view
of the Allies - so the voices you will hear are going to be mainly from English, Scottish, Irish, and Welsh former soldiers.
You may watch the film from start to finish (highly encouraged), or you may skip around to the different segments of the
film and the different themes that are present throughout its production. There are some parts that require VIEWER
DISCRETION. Enjoy!!

Pre-Watching Questions:

1. How is our understanding of historical events influenced by video? How is that understanding further influenced
by video that is in color?

2. The Great War (World War I) was the first truly global conflict in the modern world. How does its legacy live on
today?

3. Why is it important to remember conflicts like the Great War today? What can it teach us about the present-day?
Part I - Introduction: 00:00:00 - 00:03:20

Part II - War Breaks Out and Basic Training: 00:03:20 - 00:22:19

1. According to the soldiers speaking in this part of the movie, why did many Englishmen enlist in the armed forces
in 1914? (list some of the different reasons you hear).

2. Why were many young Englishmen excited about the war in 1914?

3. What were soldiers given from the army in their packs?

4. What was basic training like for these soldiers?

5. What kinds of things did new soldiers learn during basic training?

6. Describe how some of the soldiers felt about finally being shipped off to foreign soil.
Part III - Life in the Trenches: 00:22:19 - 00:41:55
**VIEWER DISCRETION - this section of the film contains several scenes that show some nudity (soldier’s backsides),
dead bodies, wounded soldiers, dead horses, and trench foot (a horrible disease). Just a warning that scenes like these can
be disturbing, but they were part of the reality of fighting in the trenches.

1. What were some of the first impressions that soldiers had when they landed on foreign soil?

2. Between 24:10 and 25:20, the viewer gets their first look at new, colorized footage. How does your impression of
the soldiers and the history change when viewing this section?

3. What were the soldiers’ impressions of the trenches they came across in France and Belgium?

4. What was daily life like in the trenches as described by these former soldiers?

5. What were the sanitary conditions like in the trenches as described by the former soldiers?

6. What did soldiers eat while in the trenches?

7. What kinds of things did soldiers have to deal with while they fought in the trenches? (threats, mud, bombings,
smell, rats, gas, trench foot etc.)
 8. During trench raids, sometimes prisoners would be taken. How did some of the soldiers view the enemy
(Germans) when they got face to face with them?

Part IV - A Soldier’s Rest: 00:41:55 - 00:51:04

1. What did soldiers do during their time away from the trenches?

2. How did soldiers entertain themselves when they weren’t fighting in the trenches?

3. What kinds of new technologies were being used in terms of transportation?

Part V - Advance: 00:51:04 - 01:11:48

**VIEWER DISCRETION - this section of the film contains several scenes that show dead bodies, wounded soldiers, and
blood. Just a warning that scenes like these can be disturbing, but they were part of the reality of the fighting.

1. Describe the soldiers’ thoughts and feelings before the big advance into enemy lines.

2. Several soldiers describe the hour before the major advance. Why do you think one of them described it as both
“the shortest and longest hour of my life.”?
 3. Throughout this section, there are descriptions of noise. Describe the soldiers memories of the noises they
experienced.

4. What was the result of the first wave of soldiers that charged at the German lines?

5. How was the romanticism of war destroyed during the charge being described by the Allied soldiers in this
section?

6. Around 1:08:40 in this section, many soldiers describe their experiences with face-to-face combat with the
German soldiers. Describe the tone of these descriptions.

Part VI - “Eventually There Was Silence”: 01:11:48 -01:28:05

**VIEWER DISCRETION - this section of the film contains several scenes that show dead bodies, wounded soldiers, and
blood. Just a warning that scenes like these can be disturbing, but they were part of the reality of the fighting.

1. How did the doctors and soldiers deal with the wounded after the charge had ended?

2. Describe the interactions and attitudes from the Allied soldiers towards the Germans after the charge was over.
 3. “After a time, perhaps nobody cared.” This quote, at 01:20:33, speaks volumes. What do you think the speaker
means by this?

4. What was the reaction from many of these soldiers to the announcement that there was going to be an armistice
(ceasefire) and that the war was over?

5. Why was there no celebration at the end of the war?

6. What did some of the soldiers do after the war was over?

7. How did many people and society as a whole respond to the end of the war and the soldiers coming home?

8. “A man’s life wasn’t worth anything at the end of the war” - what do you think was meant by this quote given by
a soldier towards the end of this section?

Part VII - Credits: 01:28:05 - 01:35:01

Post-Watching Questions:
1. What are your impressions of the film?

2. What did you learn from this film? (2 things)

3. How does this film change the way you view the history of World War I?

4. The title of this film - They Shall Not Grow Old - comes from the following poem. Read the poem and reflect on
the questions that follow:

For the Fallen

By Laurence Binyon

With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,

England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.

Solemn the drums thrill; Death august and royal

Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres,
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,

Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted;
They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
 They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England's foam.

But where our desires are and our hopes profound,

Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;

As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,

Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain;
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.

Why do you think Peter Jackson (the director) chose this line from this poem to for the title of this film