Cinco que Voltaram

If you are a film buff and also a WWII history geek, you truly owe it to yourself to watch this short documentary series about five filmmakers who went in to document the war. I have no idea how I've lived this long without seeing this or even hearing about it. Absolutely amazing story with a great documentary structure, splicing interviews with five of today's biggest filmmakers, war footage, making-of footage, and bits of old interviews of the filmmakers at hand.

During World War 2 several movie directors joined the US armed forces, making documentary films of the war. These included five of the greatest directors, not just of that era, but of all time: Frank Capra, John Ford, John Huston, William Wyler and George Stevens. They had a great impact on the war, and the war had an impact on them, not only during the conflict but in their subsequent cinematic careers.

Superb documentary series. The five directors covered in the series are legends of cinema. By the ends of their careers they would, between them, win 14 Oscars and be nominated 50 times (Capra 2 wins, 6 nominations, Ford 4/6, Huston 2/15, Wyler 3/14, Stevens 3/9). Between then they would ultimately direct six Best Picture Oscar winners (It Happened One Night, You Can't Take It With You, How Green Was My Valley, Mrs. Miniver, The Best Years Of Our Lives, Ben Hur).

However, from 1942 to 1945 most of their time was spent helping the war effort, directing some brilliant, relevant and inspiring documentaries. These were not shot from behind a desk but out in the thick of it - Ford was wounded at the Battle of Midway, a cameraman of Wyler's was killed in aerial combat while filming The Memphis Belle and Wyler himself lost his hearing while filming the film Thunderbolt.

This documentary series shows well how the five of them contributed, often having to fight and manipulate their own War Department to have their films released, or, at least, not tampered with. The personal sacrifices, mentioned previously are also well documented.

Most emotionally, the effects of the war on the five of them are examined. They all came back changed men, including in their movie-making styles and careers.

The interviews with five present-day directors - Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, Paul Greengrass, Guillermo Del Toro and Laurence Kasdan - help frame the contributions of the five and translate their work for us to understand.

Good narration by Meryl Streep, adding the right amount of gravitas to proceedings.

Great documentary on five extraordinary film-makers. Makes for emotional watching for any lover of the silver screen.

Exploring the life-altering experiences of five prominent Hollywood filmmakers who chose to enlist & serve in the Second World War, Five Came Back profiles the war-time contributions of these luminaries and analyses how they were transformed by the horrors they witnessed while filming propaganda material for American military or collecting irrefutable evidence of war crimes, and how the hundreds of hours of footages they shot played an essential role in their approach to storytelling in their post-war lives.

The documentary series chronicles the journey of Frank Capra, William Wyler, John Huston, George Stevens & John Ford behind enemy lines, and is aided by valuable commentaries from modern filmmakers who expertly break down their lives, careers & distinct cinematic voice in order to provide necessary insights into their respective films before, during & after the war. Downright engrossing & powerfully gripping, this 3-part series is a testament to the ability of cinema to stimulate all kinds of emotions and how it can be used or abused for good or evil.

Though their experience in the war may seem simpler when compared to the actual sacrifices that were made on the front lines, Five Came Back shows how even they couldn't escape the trauma brought upon by the overwhelming destruction & brutal, unfathomable savagery captured by their cameras. There are raw footages & there are re-enactments but the essence & human cost of warfare is well-preserved even in the latter case. While it doesn't shy away from highlighting their human flaws, the series is mostly a celebration of their legacies and the groundbreaking classics they crafted after returning to Hollywood. An absolute must for film enthusiasts.

Today I binged watched this magnificent documentary, after becoming intrigued with interviews of the writer, Mark Harris, and one of the narrators, Steven Spielberg (who's production company - Amblin TV) also produced it, on NPR's "Fresh Air" with Terry Gross and David Bianculli.

The five directors chronicled, Frank Capra, George Stevens, John Ford, John Huston, and William Wyler, all of which have been among the most highly regarded and influential directors, in this lifelong student of films, memory.

Talk about the greatest generation, I can not recall being so moved by their stories of their participation in WWII, since the last time I watched one of their fine films. I have so much more appreciation of those films, knowing now what I have learned from this series!

Thank you Mr. Spielberg, for bringing this to the world, in your ongoing efforts to tell the story of how this war has changed the course of human history. My hope is that this documentary, now available on Netflix, will be viewed by millions, and help to remind us, and inform others, of what America was once all about. I really think that this important and Oscar-worthy series, should be required viewing in our educational institutions.

I have never seen any film made by those five directors, and right now I really want to dive into their films especially the ones made after the war.

The documentary shocked me with the cruelty of war and the terrible aftermath and moved me with the engagement of the directors.