A fascinating three-hour documentary now available on Netflix, FIVE CAME BACK details the unbelievably true story of five major film directors of the early 1940's that all enlisted to film World War II.
The intriguing angle of the doc is that five of today's most talented directors detail the five famous directors of the past, each of them telling the complete story of one of their careers and war experience.
William Wyler's story is presented by Steven Spielberg. Frank Capra's story is told by Guillermo Del Toro, George Stevens told by Lawrence Kasdan, John Ford by Paul Greengrass and John Huston's story by Francis Ford Coppola.
For film buffs, its fantastic, as these powerful filmmakers of today detail not only the famous films of these legendary directors, but the effect of their War experience on their post-war films.
History buffs will be equally overwhelmed by the amount of exclusive footage shown that was shot by these famous men immersed in the middle of battle.
Scenes of the liberation of the concentration camps, mid-air battles between bombers and fighters and the invasion of Normandy are as startling today as they were in the news reels of yesteryear.
I learned a lot from this three part effort, including our head shaking refusal to enter the war as Europe fell to Hitler and the Nazis. I dont think I ever realized how long we sat in silence as countries fell, only entering the frey when we were attacked in Pearl Harbor.
As fascinating as any war film, loaded with never before seen footage, FIVE CAME BACK brilliantly tells the story of these five men who showed the war to Americans for the first time.
FIVE CAME BACK gets an A.
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