Five Came Back
A sweeping documentary about five Hollywood directors who entered World War II to film it, and the lasting cost of turning combat into history.
Overview
A powerful exploration of how filmmakers shaped the narrative of World War II through their lenses.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- grave
- reflective
- scholarly
- serious film study
- history documentary night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the documentary's ambitious archival history, thoughtful examination of wartime filmmaking, and strong present-day commentary.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film centers on William Wyler, Frank Capra, George Stevens, John Ford, and John Huston voluntarily filming World War II, with present-day directors assessing their work.
The film addresses the wartime experiences and post-traumatic stress associated with the five directors' service and filmmaking.
Steven Spielberg, Guillermo del Toro, Lawrence Kasdan, Paul Greengrass, and Francis Ford Coppola discuss the wartime directors from a present-day perspective.
The documentary explores how Hollywood directors documented World War II and helped shape American perceptions of the conflict.
Films like Five Came Back, and why
The Story of Film: An Odyssey
archival documentary treatment of wartime filmmaking, moral responsibility, and the relationship between cinema and historical trauma
The Celluloid Closet
film-history documentary combining archival material, expert commentary, and analysis of how movies shape cultural memory
Shoah
serious archival documentary about filmmakers confronting political violence and the ethics of representing atrocity
Movie Details
- Director
- Laurent Bouzereau
- Release Date
- 2017-03-31
- Runtime
- 195 min
- Rating
- 7.9 / 10 (45)
Cast
- Meryl Streep
- Francis Ford Coppola
- Steven Spielberg
- Paul Greengrass
- Guillermo del Toro
- Lawrence Kasdan
- John Ford
- William Wyler
- John Huston
- Frank Capra
Common questions
- What is Five Came Back about?
- A sweeping documentary about five Hollywood directors who entered World War II to film it, and the lasting cost of turning combat into history.
- What is Five Came Back like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Five Came Back as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Five Came Back violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Five Came Back as graphic.
- What did critics think of Five Came Back?
- Critics broadly praised the documentary's ambitious archival history, thoughtful examination of wartime filmmaking, and strong present-day commentary.
- Which films are like Five Came Back?
- Films with a similar feel include The Story of Film: An Odyssey, The Celluloid Closet, and Shoah.
- How long is Five Came Back?
- Five Came Back runs 195 minutes.
