Parents' Guide to

Five Came Back

By Dana Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Doc tells story of how movies rallied the USA during WWII.

TV Netflix Drama 2017
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age 11+

Based on 1 parent review

Criticus
Criticus Adult
August 27, 2019
age 11+

Five Came Back

An intriguing, informative and well-produced program with some really value. On one hand, Five Came Back paints the backdrop for the five famous 20th-century directors it features, and explains what these Hollywood legends did for the war effort; on the other hand, it highlights once again the horrors of war, sobering us with authentic clips from the past and reminding us of the reality of World War II. World-class directors taking us on a tour of the lives of now deceased world-class directors is a clever concept, and I think Five Came Back just might prove something of a revelatory watch, even in a small way. I hope everyone else can "get something out of it" as well. No sexual content, but here's the language I found: 19:34 - d*mn 22:50 - sh** 32:50 - d*mned 38:40 - (possibly) Son-of-a-b**** 39:56 - G*d-d*mned 40:28 - JC 41:52 - d*mnit 54:40 - h*ll 57:57 - *ssholes

This title has:

Too much swearing
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

FIVE CAME BACK tells the stories of five popular 1940s Hollywood directors who served in World War II: Frank Capra, John Huston, John Ford, William Wyler, and George Stevens. Based on a book with the same name by author Mark Harris, the three-part documentary series begins with a review of each director's filmmaking history. Modern-day directors -- including Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, and Guillermo del Toro -- appear to talk about their knowledge of each director's work and war efforts. Footage of WWII battles, scenes from the global political and everyday life of the 1940s, as well as clips from the directors' movies constitute the bulk of the film.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1):
Kids say: Not yet rated

This documentary series is slow-moving at first, but it becomes absolutely riveting as it moves into wartime filmmaking. The first episode spends a significant amount of time explaining the history of each director's feature film legacy in Hollywood, their personalities, and their personal thoughts about the war. It's interesting enough for film buffs for sure, but the real heart of the documentary begins when the directors dig into the war effort. The archival footage of both the American troops and American citizens at home give viewers a deep sense of what it was like to live at the time of WWII. Footage of the leaders of the Axis powers, some of which was brilliantly used by Capra against them in American propaganda films, is chilling. Five Came Back sheds a new light on unexpected war heroes -- Hollywood directors -- who may in some ways have turned the tide of American opinion toward the war effort more than most ever knew before this documentary.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why the directors in Five Came Back decided to get involved in World War II. Ask your teen: Would you have made the same choice they did? Why, or why not?

  • Talk about how films can influence the collective mind of a nation. John Ford's film The Battle of Midway was shown in three-fourths of American theaters. How do you think the phenomenon of all those people viewing the same war film affected the American discussion of the war?

  • Watch some of the classic non-war movies made by these directors to see another side of their peacetime creative personalities.

TV Details

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