I found several parts of They Shall Not Grow Old very striking due to the realistic elements of the time period and the people portrayed. For example, in one clip the German and British soldiers are swapping hats and joking, and in another part, a veteran says, “Snipers would fire and not hit anybody, you know?” I found these examples very moving because they highlighted the fact that the soldiers were all people just like us, but in a different time period. You can sense what life was like during that time through what they say and how they act, and I find that very humanizing. While we’ve grown up being taught about people from other nations, they may not have and have spent the last few years hating the opposite side and hearing stories of their brutality and monstrosity. But nevertheless, certainly some of them managed to be empathetic and compassionate and treat the soldiers that they had been fighting so long against as people.
I feel that “out of sight, out of mind” is a concept that greatly affects me. Sure, I can know the facts about historical events and people, and may even know their life stories, but it doesn’t seem real until I see something like this movie that shows the people involved being “real people” – not just unknown faces and mystery soldiers of the past. Looking at old pictures and hearing about “the soldiers of WWI” doesn’t make the events from over a hundred years ago feel real, but seeing the soldiers, in color, joking about with another, having a cup of tea made from water their gun heated, and hearing veterans talk about how “no one cared who won at that point,” really brought it home to me, so to speak.
I liked how you used quotes and references to the film to expand on your ideas.
I couldn’t agree more with your sentiments about “They Shall Not Grow Old.” This documentary truly focuses in bringing the past to life in a way that few other mediums can.
Great post, Hanli! I like how you discussed how every person who fought in the war were humans who had their own lives before the war, as I think that point goes unmentioned in a lot of media concerning the World War 1. I agree with the how you said that seeing the soldiers in a film made it feel more real and personal. At one point you mention how “they may not have and have spent the last few years hating the opposite side and hearing stories of their brutality and monstrosity”, I think it would be great if you included some examples of what the opposite sides were hearing about each other. Other than that, your writing is wonderful! Good job DUDE!
In comparison to numerous other personal responses including my own, this piece was one of the very few which included evidence from the film. I feel this piece of evidence was useful for reference and added to your argument. Bravo on a job well done, for future reference, I would have enjoyed seeing more of a reflective and emotional view of the film as well as the wonderfully analytical areas of this piece.
I have the same thoughts about the documentary as you, it is very shocking how some managed to survive all that suffering.