Peter Jackson thinks First World War movies are "cliched" and too "serious"

Filmmaker Peter Jackson thinks too many First World War movies are "cliched" and too "serious".

Filmmaker Peter Jackson thinks too many First World War movies are "cliched" and too "serious".

"I think First World War movies are in danger of being a cliche. They take the most basic concept, which is soldiers going over the top, and that's all the films are. I'm just not excited about most of them," Jackson told Sunday Times Culture magazine.

He added: "Also, and this is going to sound weird, First World War films are often too serious. They show troops having a miserable time, whereas, if you are in a bad place, humour comes to the surface. The soldiers didn't have self-pity. There are a lot of laughs.

"Many veterans say it was an escape from a boring home or dull job. An incredible adventure. They don't quite talk in the way you would expect people from the war to speak. It was the first time many had travelled overseas. It was like a Boy Scout camp."

The "Lord of the Rings" filmmaker has created a new 90-minute documentary on the subject, "They Shall Not Grow Old", which used archive footage that he has turned to colour, sharpened the images and slowed down. He thinks the changes he made offers a better focus on the individuals who were part of the war effort.

Jackson said: "The footage made you focused on the human beings. It really brought them to life once they stopped being slightly sped-up characters from the 100-year-old footage. Their faces are incredible. You see their reactions, and it draws attention to them."

(With inputs from agencies.)