Five Came Back

Five Came Back is a docuseries broadcast by Netflix in 2017, inspired by Mark Harris's best-selling book, “Five Came Back: A Story of Hollywood and the Second World War.” The three-part documentary explores the extraordinary journey of five prolific filmmakers who, amid the chaos of World War II, chose to put their accomplished careers on hold and serve their country.

At the heart of the series are five monumental figures of the Golden Age of Hollywood: John Ford, William Wyler, John Huston, Frank Capra, and George Stevens. These legends willingly traded the glamour and glitz of Hollywood for the blood and terror of the battlefield, using their cinematic prowess to capture the atrocities of war, inspire the troops, and generate support on the home-front. The series uses both archival footage and well-known actors' voices narrating as the five directors, helping to intimately connect us with these historical figures.

Five Came Back is not just about the stories these directors captured but also their personal transformations during the war and the indelible impact it had on their later work. It examines their experiences before, during, and after the war, shedding light on how the horrific events they witnessed influenced their dissimilar perspectives on war and humanity, later reflected in some of their post-war masterpieces.

Visionary filmmaker John Ford, renowned for his westerns like Stagecoach and The Searchers, directed a film during the war years titled The Battle of Midway, which won an Oscar. The pivotal role of illustrious director Frank Capra, known for It’s A Wonderful Life and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, was to helm the “Why We Fight” series to enlighten the soldiers and citizens about the causes and stakes of the war.

Meanwhile, lesser-known director William Wyler crafted Memphis Belle, a heartfelt documentary about a B-17 bomber crew, from his experience as a major in the United States Army Air Forces. George Stevens, famous for A Place In The Sun and Giant, went from directing jovial Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers musicals to witnessing and documenting the Nazi concentration camps’ liberation. The horrors he witnessed were profoundly reflected in his dramatic post-war films. John Huston, director of The Maltese Falcon, deployed to the Mediterranean and Pacific theatres, gave us raw and unfiltered films like San Pietro and Let There Be Light, defying army censorship to reveal the brutal realities of war and its psychological effects on soldiers.

Guiding us through the narrative of Five Came Back are five contemporary filmmakers: Steven Spielberg, Guillermo del Toro, Paul Greengrass, Lawrence Kasdan, and Francis Ford Coppola. These prodigious directors provide commentary, giving this series a unique structure as they discuss the inspiration they took from these five predecessors, offering a deeper examination of the influence the war had on each of the original five directors' storytelling styles.

Each episode is carefully crafted by combining snippets of the films these directors made during the war, rare archival footage, still photos, and other historical documents. These visuals bring to life the horrors of the war as seen through their lenses. The viewer is taken on a historical journey that offers insights into World War II from an uncommon perspective; that of filmmakers turned documentarians under extreme conditions.

The narrative is further enriched by the powerful voice-over of Meryl Streep. Her commanding and compassionate narration weaves the series together, setting the tone for this deeply moving portrayal of history, cinema and patriotism.

Technically impressive and emotionally resonant, Five Came Back compellingly shows how these legendary directors used the power of cinema to record and portray the unprecedented horrors of World War II. The series is a must-watch for history buffs and cinephiles alike, offering a rare look at the intersection of Hollywood and war.

This thought-provoking blend of cinema and history, delivered by numerous practicing masters of the craft, poses challenging questions about propaganda, censorship, and war's grim realities. It demonstrates vividly how narratives are shaped, not just in cinematic storytelling but in the construction of national history and memory. All in all, Five Came Back is a powerful testament to the transformative role of cinema during some of the world's darkest times. Each director's experiences serve as a relevant reflection on how art can confront, document and wrestle with the merciless brutality of war, an essential reminder for all generations.