Cinco que Voltaram

Those of us who have studied film academically know that Adolf Hitler and Joseph Goebbels both appreciated movies and also understood their great persuasive power as propaganda. This 2017 made-for-Netflix docuseries, narrated by the incomparable Meryl Streep, is about how five cinematic masters of the WWII era (Frank Capra, John Ford, John Huston, George Stevens and William Wyler) enrolled in the U. S. Armed Services in order to help us win the "propaganda war" against, among others, fantastic German films such as "Triumph of the Will" by the great Leni Riefenstahl. (Frank Capra famously said after seeing "Trumph of the Will": Oh boy, that's it! We're going to lose this damned war!

To help tell this compelling true story of great patriotism and personal sacrifice, five masters of contemporary film (Francis Ford Coppola, Paul Greengrass, Lawrence Kasdan, Steven Spielberg and Guillermo Del Toro) speak extensively about what had needed to be done back in the 1940s and why those first five Oscar-winning directors were without hesitation or equivocation the five men to do it. Just fascinating! I give this 3-part revealing docuseries a rare (for me) 9/10 stars.

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.

An American documentary; A film about five successful Hollywood film directors who were attached to the American military during the Second World War to make propaganda films and film reports about conflicts in the theatre of war. While tailor-made for film enthusiasts, it is a fascinating and engrossing three part series with commentary by leading film directors of today who contribute useful insight and knowledge about their lives. The importance of film units are highlighted to show their undeniable critical importance to the nation's appreciation of what is happening thousands of miles from home. "Five Came Back" is also a celebration of the talents and dignity of the likes of Capra, Stevens, Huston, Ford and Whiler.

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.

Just finished watching"Five came back", a truly remarkable mini series about five of the top Hollywood directors who put their careers on hold, and quite possibly ending them to join the military and record World War Two as it happened. Cannot recommend this enough and really is a must see. The stories are riveting, the footage they filmed is amazing, captured on the front line or while flying combat missions in bombers deep into Germany. These film makers have made some of my all time favourite movies, from Frank Capra's It's a wonderful life, John Ford's the Searchers, William Wylers Ben Hur, John Hustons The man who would be King, George Stevens Gunga Din and Shane. All fantastic films but they don't compare to the footage they filmed during their service in WW2. "Five came back" is a breathtaking piece of film making showing the deep and lasting impact the war had on these film makers and also on those they filmed.