Not aviation as such

[Dave Batt]

Peter Jackson gets mentioned here for good reason, so I wondered if any others had noticed this piece:

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5299087/Peter-Jackson-transforms-grainy-WWI-footage-make-film.html

[Admiral Puff]

That will DEFINITELY be worth a look!

[mhaselden]

Concur.  The improvement in quality is simply stunning.  I'm sure the colourized footage will attract people who know little of the subject but the process is so subjective that it simply is an artist's impression and so of little real historical value.  While I understand the rationale for colourizing the footage, I'd hope any DVD would include an improved monochrome version of the footage in addition to the colourized version.  Irrespective, definitely one to put on the wants list! 

[Beardie]

I do find it hard to see a real value from anything other than an 'artistic' point of view. It doesn't change or add anything to the history.

 

I think, if I was in the position of someone like Sir Peter I would make an effort to create a film re-enactment that really let you see what it was truly like to be at the front. I don't believe that there is any film in existence that really truly shows the utter chaos that the men had to go through.

 

Let's face it, there isn't a war movie in existence that really depicts war from the combatants viewpoint.

[stevehnz]

Perhaps the 1st 20 minutes of Saving Private Ryan?

Steve.

[Beardie]

I would go so far as to say that the 1st 20 minutes of Saving Private Ryan are a bit too organised to really sum up the real thing. The problem is that we have a story telling (beginning middle end and plot) approach to our viewing choices which doesn't allow for the reality of hours/days/weeks or longer waiting around in wet dirty trenches with nothing happening but the occasional unexpected shell blowing some of your mates apart followed by frantically trying to survive without a clue what is happening or why and survival is purely a combination of luck and reactions. I think the truest description I have read of being in combat is that of Guy Sajer. Nothing heroic, nothing even about superb warriorly skills, just descending into chaos and, maybe, just maybe, emerging from the other side alive.

[Dave Batt]

7 hours ago, Beardie said:

 

I think, if I was in the position of someone like Sir Peter I would make an effort to create a film re-enactment that really let you see what it was truly like to be at the front. I don't believe that there is any film in existence that really truly shows the utter chaos that the men had to go through.

 

There's little way we might know what's in his mind.

 

Have you ever seen Das Boot in either its film of mini-series forms?  If you watch that and then get a copy of Bucheim's (think that's his name) photo essay on his wartime U-boat cruises you might swear (as I did) that the images were taken from the film.  The reverse is of course true and an indication of just how true-to-life the imagery was, and by implication other aspects of the film.

 

Who knows where Sir Peter might be heading.