They Shall Not Grow Old

How this film uses it

There is no usual narrator. The voiceover is cut together from old BBC and Imperial War Museum interviews with British veterans, drawing on audio from 120 of the 200 men who were recorded. Their voices are older than the faces you see, so every story is told from a distance of decades.

Where to see it

Training and trenches: Veterans describe enlisting and going to war over footage of young soldiers.

How this film uses it

The film was colorized and restored, and the crew re-timed it from 13 to 24 frames per second. The men stop looking like figures from a stiff photograph. Some archivists objected, which is part of the debate about the method.

Where to see it

Soldiers walk toward the camera: Restored color footage shows men grinning and posing for the lens.

How this film uses it

The film starts in a boxy black and white frame like old newsreels. When the men reach the front, the picture opens into a wider color frame. Reviews describe the jump as a shock that puts you in the trenches with them.

Where to see it

Arrival at the front: The boxy black and white picture opens up into a wide color image as the men head toward the trenches.

How this film uses it

The original footage was silent. The film adds sound effects and voice acting, partly built from lip reading and oral history archives. Historians have questioned how well lip reading can capture accents. The sound makes the men seem to speak to you, which also means you should remember that part is a reconstruction.

Where to see it

Trench life: Silent footage of soldiers at the front is given sound effects and voices, so the men seem to talk and laugh.