OT: They Shall Not Grow Old....

[pitt-girl]

Heads up that a WWI documentary by Peter Jackson (as an homage to his Grandfather), is getting a wide release this weekend. It was only in theaters for 2 days in December but word of mouth was so strong, they decided to re-release it.

I have a friend who caught it in NYC and said that it is one of the most amazing films he has ever seen regarding war.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/They_Shall_Not_Grow_Old

 

[Franb]

Heads up that a WWI documentary by Peter Jackson (as an homage to his Grandfather), is getting a wide release this weekend. It was only in theaters for 2 days in December but word of mouth was so strong, they decided to re-release it.

I have a friend who caught it in NYC and said that it is one of the most amazing films he has ever seen regarding war.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/They_Shall_Not_Grow_Old

Thanks for the info. He made an interesting comment about colorizing the original footage, saying that the men who fought the war experienced it in color. I am not a fan of that process, but in this case it makes sense.

 

[HunkyPanther]

Went and saw it... it brings a more vivid description of what is generally a forgotten war. If you are a student of history and enjoy documentaries, this is great. If you are going strictly for the entertainment value, don’t bother. Personally, I am more a WW1 buff than WW2 so I greatly appreciated the value and work in this documentary. If you go, stay for the 30 minute feature after the movie that goes into explaining the details that went into making the movie.

 

[PittAU]

Heads up that a WWI documentary by Peter Jackson (as an homage to his Grandfather), is getting a wide release this weekend. It was only in theaters for 2 days in December but word of mouth was so strong, they decided to re-release it.

I have a friend who caught it in NYC and said that it is one of the most amazing films he has ever seen regarding war.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/They_Shall_Not_Grow_Old

We went to see it in December. It was incredible.

 

[PittAU]

Went and saw it... it brings a more vivid description of what is generally a forgotten war. If you are a student of history and enjoy documentaries, this is great. If you are going strictly for the entertainment value, don’t bother. Personally, I am more a WW1 buff than WW2 so I greatly appreciated the value and work in this documentary. If you go, stay for the 30 minute feature after the movie that goes into explaining the details that went into making the movie.

We stayed too. It was very interesting as well.

 

[rmf05]

Not only colorizing but changing the speeds of the film so that the guys are actually speaking and walking, running in real time. I always found it odd that news reels made such footage look goofy. Think of Babe Ruth jogging around the bases after is homers. He looked like a chicken shuffling around a pen. When a movie was made about Ruth in the 90's, even the actor made is movements similar to news reels. Reality was very different. The new footage makes these amazing people seem more human so that you can try to grasp the horror of their situation more intimately. WWI was the greatest tragedy, horror and disgrace in human history.

 

[pittdan77]

"The Great War" was always lost on me as a kid. I remember one very old guy in my church that served in WW1 and had told us he had volunteered for a suicide mission with the promise of being able to come home if he survived. He was one of nine, I think, that did survive and made it home. I couldn't understand why anyone would do that until I was older and was finally able to comprehend the carnage and pure insanity of that war. Death wasn't really the worst thing for some.

 

[rmf05]

"The Great War" was always lost on me as a kid. I remember one very old guy in my church that served in WW1 and had told us he had volunteered for a suicide mission with the promise of being able to come home if he survived. He was one of nine, I think, that did survive and made it home. I couldn't understand why anyone would do that until I was older and was finally able to comprehend the carnage and pure insanity of that war. Death wasn't really the worst thing for some.

We are all still paying a heavy price for WWI today.

 

[Hailpitt]

I recall going to Pitt games in late 1960’s thru early 1970’s and there would be these older guys (70’s —80’s) on stretchers and wheel chairs watching the game from about 5 yards beyond the end zone (VA hospital side of field). They seemed very “out of it.” My dad explained that they were survivors from WW1 — a number of them from gas attacks! I recall being sad that they lived most of their lives ( approximately 50+ years) in that condition.

 

[FreeportPanther]

"The Great War" was always lost on me as a kid. I remember one very old guy in my church that served in WW1 and had told us he had volunteered for a suicide mission with the promise of being able to come home if he survived. He was one of nine, I think, that did survive and made it home. I couldn't understand why anyone would do that until I was older and was finally able to comprehend the carnage and pure insanity of that war. Death wasn't really the worst thing for some.

Knew an old fellow from near Kittanning who was a WW1 vet. He and a bunch of his buddies all enlisted together. Back then, they kept guys together and they all went overseas together.

While there, they bought a bottle of wine and it was kept in the local bank. The last survivor was supposed to drink a toast to all his departed comrades. Joe said it was down to him and one other guy, wasn't sure who would get the honor, but then his eyes twinkled and he said he didn't care because it was probably vinegar by now anyway.

He had been gassed over there, but didn't suffer any lasting effects. Died in his mid 90's.
My wife's grandfather was a WW1 vet. I still have his service revolver. You'd have never know he had been a soldier. Gentle as a puppy. NEVER spoke of it.

 

[ThePanthers]

I really want to see this. I love this kind of stuff. Looks fantastic.

 

[upj87]

We are all still paying a heavy price for WWI today.

and reaping numerous benefits...ambiguity is fun

 

[rmf05]

and reaping numerous benefits...ambiguity is fun

The meager benefits are nothing in relation to the price paid. That was the point but cute comment.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

I really want to learn more about this war. I feel stupid in not knowing more. It was definitely undercovered in our history classes growing up. I just know about the brutal loss of male life in Europe, and the trench warfare, Gallipoli, etc....so I would really look forward to this.

 

[mike412]

WW I was fought using 19th Century tactics against 20th Century weapons: Mass frontal assaults on fortified positions is the ultimate madness. Think Pickett’s charge, but against Gatling guns instead of single shot rifles. That was the major reason the casualty rate was so enormous.

As for not talking about the war, that is common to veterans of almost all wars. I had two uncles who landed on D-Day and neither ever discussed it to my knowledge. Not even with each other. If asked, I will acknowledge that I was in Vietnam, but I have never discussed any specific events with anyone. Not even my wife. When I have gotten together socially with fellow vets I served with, we don’t talk about it either. If you have to ask why not, well then you weren’t there.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

 

[kma0043]

I really want to learn more about this war. I feel stupid in not knowing more. It was definitely undercovered in our history classes growing up. I just know about the brutal loss of male life in Europe, and the trench warfare, Gallipoli, etc....so I would really look forward to this.

We were only involved the last 6 months of a 4 1/2 year war. Plus the fact that WW1 has limited video footage it makes it under covered. To fully understand 20th century history thoroughly studying WW1 (through a Euro lense if possible) is a must.

 

[pitt-girl]

We were only involved the last 6 months of a 4 1/2 year war. Plus the fact that WW1 has limited video footage it makes it under covered. To fully understand 20th century history thoroughly studying WW1 (through a Euro lense if possible) is a must.

That's why I'm looking forward to seeing this. Although I've been warned that Jackson did not shy away from showing the atrocities.

 

[FreeportPanther]

There were about 20 million killed in WW1, split fairly evenly between military and civilian casualties.
As previously noted, the U.S. was late to the conflict and had about 4 1/2 million soldiers engaged. Of those there were about 120,000 deaths, split evenly between war wounds and sickness.

Remember, there was a major influenza epidemic at the same time, and roughly half the soldiers perished from that.

 

[PHATWOOD]

WW I was fought using 19th Century tactics against 20th Century weapons: Mass frontal assaults on fortified positions is the ultimate madness. Think Pickett’s charge, but against Gatling guns instead of single shot rifles. That was the major reason the casualty rate was so enormous.

As for not talking about the war, that is common to veterans of almost all wars. I had two uncles who landed on D-Day and neither ever discussed it to my knowledge. Not even with each other. If asked, I will acknowledge that I was in Vietnam, but I have never discussed any specific events with anyone. Not even my wife. When I have gotten together socially with fellow vets I served with, we don’t talk about it either. If you have to ask why not, well then you weren’t there.

My Father's uncle survived the Bataan Death March. Came home to live out his life in Butler County. Never, EVER talked about the war. Cane home and drank himself to death.

My Grandfather was a navigator on a bomber flying over Germany who survived more than 20 missions in 1944-45 and was wounded and returned to service. Came home to live out his life in Butler County. He never EVER talked about the war. Came home and drank himself to death.

While I'm incredibly proud of both of them and their sacrifice I never say this to anyone with a sense of pride. I simply realize they both gave their lives while in their 20's even though they both lived in to their 50's.

 

[pitt-girl]

My Father's uncle survived the Bataan Death March. Came home to live out his life in Butler County. Never, EVER talked about the war. Cane home and drank himself to death.

My Grandfather was a navigator on a bomber flying over Germany who survived more than 20 missions in 1944-45 and was wounded and returned to service. Came home to live out his life in Butler County. He never EVER talked about the war. Came home and drank himself to death.

While I'm incredibly proud of both of them and their sacrifice I never say this to anyone with a sense of pride. I simply realize they both gave their lives while in their 20's even though they both lived in to their 50's.

I'm really sorry to hear this and my sympathies.

I think it is impossible for anyone who hasn't ever been "there" in any war to actually understand what it must have been like, let alone how someone processes it after the fact. However I do think you should be proud of their sacrifices.

*Hugs*

 

[rpastir]

My Father's uncle survived the Bataan Death March. Came home to live out his life in Butler County. Never, EVER talked about the war. Cane home and drank himself to death.

My Grandfather was a navigator on a bomber flying over Germany who survived more than 20 missions in 1944-45 and was wounded and returned to service. Came home to live out his life in Butler County. He never EVER talked about the war. Came home and drank himself to death.

While I'm incredibly proud of both of them and their sacrifice I never say this to anyone with a sense of pride. I simply realize they both gave their lives while in their 20's even though they both lived in to their 50's.

I know it’s the thing to do these days, but I really mean it / feel it when I say “thank you for your service”. I know this little show of support and thanks doesn’t make things all better for war veterans suffering from PSTD, but it’s something that I think we (non-vets) should do and say to let them (vets) know that we appreciate their sacrifice. I also think the US government should do much more to help returning vets. I can’t imagine having to come home to “normal life” after dealing with the things some of those guys have seen and been through.

 

[PITTsburghFAN]

Heads up that a WWI documentary by Peter Jackson (as an homage to his Grandfather), is getting a wide release this weekend. It was only in theaters for 2 days in December but word of mouth was so strong, they decided to re-release it.

I have a friend who caught it in NYC and said that it is one of the most amazing films he has ever seen regarding war.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/They_Shall_Not_Grow_Old

Dear Pitt Lass - I meant to second your enthusiastic endorsement of this documentary during the Holidays, as I too attended its one (or two) day release. It was magnificent and the extra 30 minutes after the footage ended and the credits rolled were just as good.

For anyone who's enjoyed that film, and has access to Netflix/Amazon Fire, please do a search on documentaries on the battle of the Somme. July 1st, 2016. The one I watched last night showed a research group seeking the precise point in space from which much of the footage used in Peter Jackson's film came. Wow! Fascinating in the extreme. Including the sunken road so prominently featured in the Jackson documentary.

Finally, there was a 2nd show that I found on Netflix/Fire that featured a still image photographer who made some fabulous and very much under publicized pictures from WW-I. STRONG endorse these.

 

[Panther Parrothead]

There were about 20 million killed in WW1, split fairly evenly between military and civilian casualties.
As previously noted, the U.S. was late to the conflict and had about 4 1/2 million soldiers engaged. Of those there were about 120,000 deaths, split evenly between war wounds and sickness.

Remember, there was a major influenza epidemic at the same time, and roughly half the soldiers perished from that.

It’s frightening to think that penicillin hadn’t been introduced into war use until 1941, and it really wasn’t used widely in the general public until the mid-1940’s.

That medicine alone saved countless thousands of lives, but of course it wasn’t available until well after WW1.

 

[HunkyPanther]

If anyone had studied WW1 history, you would know that the tensions leading up to the war had been brewing going back all the way to the Franco Prussian war in the 1870s and the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand was simply a reason to “start a brawl”.
The war was proliferated more by the military staffs of the European powers and their insistence to mobilize troops than the actual political leaders themselves. If communication channels and technology were better back then, the war would have been totally unavoidable.
A must read is the Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman. Goes into extreme detail of the events leading up to the war and the first months of the war.
My great uncle actually fought for the Austrio Hungarian empire and was captured by czarist Russian troops. Being Slovak, the Russians didn’t see a fellow Slav as an enemy so treated him good. He didn’t make it too America until 1920. My grandfather and the rest of the family left Austria Hungary in the summer of 1914 because my other great Uncle, who was 16, was a cadet in the AH army and he didn’t want to fight so the whole family snuck out of Europe and came to Homestead.

 

[thebadby2]

Heads up that a WWI documentary by Peter Jackson (as an homage to his Grandfather), is getting a wide release this weekend. It was only in theaters for 2 days in December but word of mouth was so strong, they decided to re-release it.

I have a friend who caught it in NYC and said that it is one of the most amazing films he has ever seen regarding war.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/They_Shall_Not_Grow_Old

Thanks for posting this PG. I was not aware of this film previously but after reading this thread and researching it a little bit, I intend to make it a priority. Once in a while the Lair actually delivers some value beyond the guilty indulgence of wasted time.

I am also hearing great things from friends whose reviews I trust about the Fyre Festival documentary Fyre Festival: The Greatest Party That Never Happened on Netflix.

 

[wbrpanther]

If anyone had studied WW1 history, you would know that the tensions leading up to the war had been brewing going back all the way to the Franco Prussian war in the 1870s and the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand was simply a reason to “start a brawl”.
The war was proliferated more by the military staffs of the European powers and their insistence to mobilize troops than the actual political leaders themselves. If communication channels and technology were better back then, the war would have been totally unavoidable.
A must read is the Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman. Goes into extreme detail of the events leading up to the war and the first months of the war.
My great uncle actually fought for the Austrio Hungarian empire and was captured by czarist Russian troops. Being Slovak, the Russians didn’t see a fellow Slav as an enemy so treated him good. He didn’t make it too America until 1920. My grandfather and the rest of the family left Austria Hungary in the summer of 1914 because my other great Uncle, who was 16, was a cadet in the AH army and he didn’t want to fight so the whole family snuck out of Europe and came to Homestead.

The book "The Guns of August" may have prevented a world wide conflagration in 1962. During the Cuban missile Crisis it is a well known fact that many in our military and government were practically demanding that JFK invade Cuba and send in our bombers to take out the missiles, which would surely have led to a full scale nuclear war with the Soviet Union.. JFK resisted, often referring to his having studied The Guns of August and realizing how a great war could easily start. Thank God cooler heads prevailed and things were worked out with Kruschev and Russia.

 

[FreeportPanther]

The book "The Guns of August" may have prevented a world wide conflagration in 1962. During the Cuban missile Crisis it is a well known fact that many in our military and government were practically demanding that JFK invade Cuba and send in our bombers to take out the missiles, which would surely have led to a full scale nuclear war with the Soviet Union.. JFK resisted, often referring to his having studied The Guns of August and realizing how a great war could easily start. Thank God cooler heads prevailed and things were worked out with Kruschev and Russia.

Yep, Curtis Lemay, WW2 holdover from the air campaign over Japan, was like a character in Dr. Strangelove!
Like Bolton today, except Lemay actually served and wasn't a chicken hawk.

 

[wbrpanther]

Yep, Curtis Lemay, WW2 holdover from the air campaign over Japan, was like a character in Dr. Strangelove!
Like Bolton today, except Lemay actually served and wasn't a chicken hawk.

JFK didn't conform to what the right wingnuts wanted him to do. He stood up to big oil, covert CIA activity, war mongers in the Pentagon, and was going to throw LBJ off the ticket in '64 because of scandals brewing with old buddies Bobby Baker and Billy Sol Estes.

And he paid with his life.

 

[Panther Parrothead]

I am also hearing great things from friends whose reviews I trust about the Fyre Festival documentary Fyre Festival: The Greatest Party That Never Happened on Netflix.

I can vouch for the Fyre Festival documentary. It’s a cautionary tale about wannabe “social climbers” who think that they can buy their way into the Caste of the Beautiful People.

 

[paulbl99]

The book "The Guns of August" may have prevented a world wide conflagration in 1962. During the Cuban missile Crisis it is a well known fact that many in our military and government were practically demanding that JFK invade Cuba and send in our bombers to take out the missiles, which would surely have led to a full scale nuclear war with the Soviet Union.. JFK resisted, often referring to his having studied The Guns of August and realizing how a great war could easily start. Thank God cooler heads prevailed and things were worked out with Kruschev and Russia.

Yep, Curtis Lemay, WW2 holdover from the air campaign over Japan, was like a character in Dr. Strangelove!
Like Bolton today, except Lemay actually served and wasn't a chicken hawk.

Hey, the Big Red Dog was digging in our backyard

 

[upj87]

The meager benefits are nothing in relation to the price paid. That was the point but cute comment.

in that you are communicating via a digital age that would probably had not been upon us at this time in history I would say not so meager...plenty of scientific and medical non "meagerness" comes out of the horror of war...the "benefits" are obviously not sought but huge nonetheless...

 

[rmf05]

in that you are communicating via a digital age that would probably had not been upon us at this time in history I would say not so meager...plenty of scientific and medical non "meagerness" comes out of the horror of war...the "benefits" are obviously not sought but huge nonetheless...

If you think that there wouldn't have been any advancements without WWI, I just don't know what to say for you. Sure, war and the military both produce advancements but WWI in particular was the cause of WWII, unheard of disease and drout worldwide, the spread of communism and the destruction of an entire generation of men to death, disease, injury and mental illness all the likes of which human existence had never seen before.

 

[fairgambit]

Heads up that a WWI documentary by Peter Jackson (as an homage to his Grandfather), is getting a wide release this weekend. It was only in theaters for 2 days in December but word of mouth was so strong, they decided to re-release it.

I have a friend who caught it in NYC and said that it is one of the most amazing films he has ever seen regarding war.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/They_Shall_Not_Grow_Old

I just saw this incredible film and give it my highest recommendation. It was brutal, riveting....brilliant in every way. If you have an opportunity to see it, don't pass it up. See it in a theater if you can to get the full effect, and stay to watch the extra half hour of how it was done. This is one of the best films I have ever seen.

 

[fairgambit]

This film is playing at the Tull Family Theater in Sewickley for the next 9 days.

https://www.thetullfamilytheater.org/films/they-shall-not-grow-old/

 

[paulbl99]

Thank you for that heads up on this film.

Took my 13 yr old grandson

 

[pitt-girl]

Thank you for that heads up on this film.

Took my 13 yr old grandson

It will never happen, but all kids should be required to watch this. Some adults too.

 

[lilspainishflea]

I'm really sorry to hear this and my sympathies.

I think it is impossible for anyone who hasn't ever been "there" in any war to actually understand what it must have been like, let alone how someone processes it after the fact. However I do think you should be proud of their sacrifices.

*Hugs*

Former Air Force Special Operator here. It's ok to not understand what life on a battlefield is like - that's the point for most of us. We serve so that others didn't have to. It's enough for us that people learn about where we were and why, to learn our stories and not forget, and to hold our government accountable so that our service was not in vain.

 

[fairgambit]

It will never happen, but all kids should be required to watch this. Some adults too.

I really wish all adults could see it. It brings home the horror of war like nothing I have ever seen, primarily because it was not done on a Hollywood set but filmed in real life on the battlefields of Europe. You look into the eyes of young men in the trenches, ready to charge across "no man's land" and you know most of them will be dead within the hour. It is chilling.

 

[pitt-girl]

I really wish all adults could see it. It brings home the horror of war like nothing I have ever seen, primarily because it was not done on a Hollywood set but filmed in real life on the battlefields of Europe. You look into the eyes of young men in the trenches, ready to charge across "no man's land" and you know most of them will be dead within the hour. It is chilling.

Unfortunately, I think most today view WWI through the prism of "Wonder Woman".