They Shall Not Grow Old a box office blowout – for good reason

americanthinker.com ^ | 12/28/2018 | Monica Showalter

[rbg81]

We got 37 million deaths, millions and millions of bright people, a death toll so high that it skewed the demographics of nations such as France.

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We got more than that. The loose ends, mistakes and grudges from WWI directly caused WWII. If it had not been Hitler, it might easily have been someone else. A century later, its obvious that (despite outward appearances) that Western civilization never really recovered from it. Europe today is a continent that has almost totally lost its confidence.

Really just a tragic, colossal waste. However, it is quite possible that it would have been even more horrible had it been fought 10-20 years later (with better technology).

[erlayman]

But the bottom line still remains that when something needed done, some people stepped up and did it

______________________________________________________
Maybe not but the spirited humor, determination and can-do attitude of the men does feel like something has been lost.

[PGR88]

I heard about it and bought Tickets for the 1 showing at 1 theater in our area on Dec. 17. First time I had been to the theater in 10 years.

Jackson did not merely colorize the films, he made the speed correct, corrected shading, and “filled in” defects, scratches, lapses in this 100 year old film. He added sound where he knew he could do it faithfully. For the few times he added men’s voices, he even made sure he had the exact regional accent of the soldiers in that unit.

The result is its absolutely life-like.

Movie is not historical - it doesn’t talk about battles, dates, personalities. It merel follows the available films - from recruiting, to training, to battle, to trench life, to going home.

[I-ambush]

Peter Jackson? I’m glad he restrained himself from adding CGI-filled storylines with the German’s tunneling to the center of the earth or the British inventing flying saucers.

[heterosupremacist]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqLNvr2-VLo interesting - allied opinions of German soldiers - (4:18)

[John S Mosby]

American Thinker’s “About” page tells one who runs things there and gives their actual names. Many writers use pen names— and one shouldn’t put to much into what those names are... but rather pay attention to the editor’s selections.

Might not, in fact be a pen name, in any case. For many decades there was a Showalter Flying School in Central FL, for example. Fairly common name.

The “About” page for reference (incidentally, Rush L. references this blog many many times— and with attribution):

https://www.americanthinker.com/static/about_us.html

[PGR88]

I saw this film. I felt the people in this film were very different from us. They seemed more innocent, guileless - and happy

I attribute that to the age we live in. We are greatly changed (corrupted?) by our modern, media, entertainment, computer, sex-filled life style. Think about it - these men grew up mostly in the country, many probably without even electricity.

[PGR88]

A century later, its obvious that (despite outward appearances) that Western civilization never really recovered from it. Europe today is a continent that has almost totally lost its confidence.

I read one author who said the exact time of the decline and death of western, Christian civilization was when the two-sides soldiers returned to their trenches after spending Christmas together in no-man's land. Before that was hope and confidence, after that moment, only pessimism and death.

[Big Red Badger]

I saw it also,
As always, Young men marched off
On a Lark.
In this case some Very Young Men.
Interesting show about
The Fighting Man but that was
about it.
I Gasped for air as the “Real”
Restoration film began and could
See a soldiers Blue Eyes!
Excellent preservation of some unseen video and a Pitch for a
Memorial for that Conflict.

[damper99]

If you missed it, you missed your chance. I read it won’t be shown again. Only days to view it were Dec 17 and 27. Not sure why they wouldn’t want to meet the demand with more showings.

[bubbacluck]

The transition from grainy black and white to clear, 3D color was amazing.

[John S Mosby]

For another thought reference, one can view the dramatic film... “War Horse” that Spielberg put out.

Another example of the “leftover” tactics is in this film— that being the surprise charge of British cavalry (with the War Horse “Joey” and his rider, who purchased him in Devon, UK) through a German camp and right into a line of forest FULL of machine guns— slaughtering the unit. A Unit of swordsman— armed only with a sidearm, which they never got to use.

The Aussies at Gallipoli had rifles and used them in the charges on the Turks. You would think someone had learned that from them— Brits are an odd lot in the learning convincing department.

The last (i guess) cavalry charge came finally in Poland- with truly brave Polish cavalry charging Nazi tanks.. think of that— fully 25 years after 1914. Such beautiful horses, from a bygone tradition. Prior to 1914 in the US... it was the huge cavalry battle Union vs. CSA at Brandy Station, VA— which did include sidearms.

[babble-on]

Humanity at its absolute best, and absolute worst. Duty of service, but in service of the stupidest governments in history.

[nonliberal]

Did it “need to be done?” The run up to WW1 was the biggest comedy of errors in history.

[Forward the Light Brigade]

Some historians lump WW I & WW II as the same war with a 20 year gap to re-arm. It should have been the War to end all wars—sadly, it wasn’t. Most of our problems come from these two events.

[rktman]

👹. I use "rktman" on FR and not my actual name. Which is Clark Kent.

[John S Mosby]

Recommend the series— “The Fall of the Eagles”-— a BBC excellent production from the 70s that is on youtube, all episodes.

You can find the one episode about who and why brought on the Serbian assasination of the Austrian Prince and wife. A couple of “diplomatic” renegades one Russian the other a clever Austro Hungarian (and, pointedly described in the episode- jewish) played footsie (the Russian idiot anyway without the smarter Russian military types, and of course the useless Tsar Nicholas’s knowledge) over what the Russian diplomat perceived as a Russian strategic need— control over the Dardanelles (against the wishes of the Serbian allies of Russia). The Serb nationalists reacted to the sell out of Austro-Hungary empire.

And, you’re correct— other than the playthings of the monarchies... nobody had to go to war over this. But the Kaiser- pumped up cripple and loon that he was... Did. What a waste. All the Eagles of Europe fell— all the principalities.

[Socon-Econ]

Was there ever a more consequential war than World War I?
.........
The Greek-Persian War, the Peloponnesian War, the Second Punic War, the Roman conquest of Gaul and the Arab-Roman war of 629-644 and the War of the American Revolution might have been more consequential.
*************
We can add Queen Elizabeth’s defeat of the Spanish Armada 1n the 1500’s and many others.

[Dr. Sivana]

Is Monica Showalter a made up name or what? Seems like a nom de plume and he she what have you writes half of American Thinker.

Might be related to this famous Showalter.

[rstrahan]

Wasn’t shown in my immediate area. Does anyone have any information when it will be available (Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc)?