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Remembered Today:

IWM & Peter Jackson Restore Film Footage - They Shall Not Grow Old


Derek Black

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There is a one-off showing at the Arts Picturehouse in Cambridge, to be followed by a Q&A session with the director and the critic Mak Kermode. The cinema's website will not allow online booking so I assume that it has sold out.

 

The TV version on 11 November is on Talking Pictures TV (Freeview channel 81), which I cannot receive, so I shall have to wait until it goes on general release, or the DVD comes out.

 

The misquote annoyed me, too.

 

Ron

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It's probably just me but does anyone else fell the coloured film makes it all look a bit to much like an Hollywood war film from the studio and not the real thing? Maybe because I have become so accustomed to WW1 being in b&w I can't get used to the colour scenes. Will defo give it more time and views to become more 'normal' though, as the time and effort put into it deserves that at least. Certainly not being disrespectful or ungrateful, but that's how the first views of the clips left me.

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I would liked  to have gone to a screening, however 6pm is not a good time. No local cinemas showing it. And normally I finish work at 6, but Tuesday I'm working til 8. Will have to try to catch it on the 11th November.

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On 24 September 2018 at 23:11, aengland said:

I understand that this exciting venture is also to be shown on BBC 1 on 11 November.... does anyone know if a DVD is planned?

 

Andrew

 

 

I hope so ... I couldn't get a ticket for the Cheltenham showing.

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I do understand the misgivings about seeing the colourised film but I’m really looking forward to seeing it tomorrow. From the trailer, the colour brings an ‘immediacy’ to the images which look as though they could have been filmed yesterday. I see it as a continuum in the development and viewing of these films..... firstly they were speed-corrected for showing on modern equipment; then they were remastered to give them sharpness and bring out hitherto unseen details; now they have been colourised. It’s as much about the detail in the background for me - the rolling green hills, etc - it almost makes you feel as though you are there rather than just watching ‘history’. The remastered IWM versions released over the last decade will always be the ones I watch but this will (should?) complement them well. If it does nothing but introduce younger viewers (who wouldn’t normally watch black and white), it will have served its purpose.

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15 hours ago, steandpaula said:

It's probably just me but does anyone else fell the coloured film makes it all look a bit to much like an Hollywood war film from the studio and not the real thing?

 

I think it's worth noting that the battle scenes were staged and the films were created for home viewing and inteneded to portray the war in a positive light, hence the 'Hollywood' feel.

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I read yesterday that many thousands of copies are going to be sent out free to schools, so there will be plenty of copies knocking around. But lets hope that it can also be purchased legitimately by us all in due course.

 

William

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Agreed...I just hope it's available over here in the US of A.  Nothing more frustrating than having a DVD that won't play 'cos it's the wrong region.  This is definitely on my wants list.  

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It’s true, it really was like ‘being in the trenches with them’.  You’d have thought it was just filmed yesterday.  Thoroughly entrancing.  Brilliant modern technology.  See it if you can.

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Thought this was an outstanding piece of work, quite moving.

 

Andy

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It's true, it really was like being in a room full of morons munching popcorn all the way through! What is it with some people that they can't sit through a film without stuffing their faces? 

 

Grumbles aside, I watched in 3D and had a genuine flutter and and spine tingle when the screen became full colour and men were literally peering out and talking to me. I thought it would be gimmicky but it was far from it.

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6 minutes ago, stiletto_33853 said:

Thought this was an outstanding piece of work, quite moving.

 

Andy

Agreed, very moving.

It was a sell out in Chichester, no one eating around us.  Impressed by no adverts, no trailers, just straight into the film.  I was surprised by the amount of people that didn’t wait for the Q and A and got up and left before the credits had even finished.

 

I have just downloaded the One Show on iPlayer, as my mum said there is a piece on tonight's programme about it.

 

Mandy 

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18 minutes ago, LEUZEWOOD said:

It's true, it really was like being in a room full of morons munching popcorn all the way through! What is it with some people that they can't sit through a film without stuffing their faces? 

I had the misfortune to be seated beside a Toby Jug in human form, who commandeered my arm rest, spread his legs akimbo and then talked to his companion about a work problem he had to face the following day.  And then, low and behold, a snack packet exploded into life directly behind me and the chomping began!

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No eaters or slurpers in Ripon, thankfully, but we did have late arrivals (thankfully not during the actual film but during the preamble/interviews outside).  I have to admit I was quite put out at the disrespect shown and did voice to my husband, loud enough for them to hear as we stood to let them pass by, how rude they were to turn up late.  Goodness knows what I’d have done if they’d interrupted the actual film :w00t: 

 

There were only 58 seats available in the small screen room, about 6 or so were still empty and 3 people chose to leave straight after the film. 

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Stunning, simply stunning. So much footage and so many photos I'd never seen before, but even the familiar footage we've seen many times before somehow seemed totally new after its restoration and in colour. Loved the clip of the big British artillery piece firing, causing slates to fall off the roof of the nearby building. 

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I was very impressed by it . It was interesting to see the famous Somme footage of the Bedford's officer reading from

a piece of paper to the soldiers down the side street and actually be able to hear what he was saying ( voiced by an actor ).

In the Q&A Peter Jackson explained how he tracked down the contents of the piece of paper , but of course all those who

left early missed it.

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Superb. You might have thought the colour film had been filmed this year in Holywood. What was also impressive, only revealed in the Q & A session, was that lip readers had been brought in to read the comments by the  troops on film.

 

Worth seeing for sure.

 

TR

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Wow!

 

Bernard

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I also saw it this evening.

Despite a couple of people grazing throughout behind me, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

What an amazing job Peter Jackson and his team have done, this has definitely broken the mould regarding historical documentaries.

I shall be recording it on 11th November, it will be really interesting to be able to pause the film to study some of the images.

I was highly impressed.

 

Stuart

 

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Now that my ears have stopped ringing, as I was sitting below a speaker.  

 

Which didn’t stop me, I found it very interesting and enjoyable to watch.  

 

I’ve seen some of the footage before in black and white.  But with the colour and the sound it really brought it home.  

 

The screams of the horse’s and the buzzing of the flies, hearing actual words and voice.  

 

I hope that  it is released on DVD, as you could have 1 disc of the original film and the second disc with the colour and sound.  

 

It really does bring it home, as many people think that the world was covered in black and white before the invention of colour television and colour Kodak film. 

 

A big  thank and well done to all involved. 

 

 

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Seems like they’re extending the screening - catch it if you can, I don’t think watching it on tv will have quite the same effect although it will still be good

 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/10/16/peter-jacksons-first-world-war-film-get-extended-cinema-run/?fbclid=IwAR3oOpYAi9ydJa3W5coZSKrMxsfHIcxYlquvDtf-kLLfbAa3gmqzRAQdN14

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Unfortunately all the screenings are daytime or 6pm. Useless for me as I won't  be able to finish work early enough to get to a 6pm show or get time off for a daytime show. 

 

TV it is for me

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It's a masterpiece - not just a sympathetic treatment of old war footage but a fantastic piece of cinema in it's own right.

 

Can't wait to see the 'Making of' documentary on 11/11

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I was fortunate enough to see it last night.  Overall it was excellent, colourisation was done well, the voiceovers were compelling (and not at all chosen to represent modern sensibilities) and there were some superb sequences.  The footage of the artillery fire knocking off roof tiles, for example, was extremely memorable.  No real complaints, though of course there were limitations, in that no-one was ever going to take 1914-18 era camera over the top with them. 

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