Netflix is full of documentaries on almost every topic. And in the World War II registry, the Platform catalog has an excellent nugget: Five Men and a War. A must see.
It goes without saying that Netflix’s catalog is an almost bottomless well when it comes to documentaries on just about every conceivable topic. The abundance of choices, by the way, is not always happy. There are some beautiful nuggets in the roster of World War II-evoking works, including this one made by Platform Precisely: Five Men and a War.
Adapted from the book written by Mark Harris Five returned And released in 2014, it’s an extraordinary documentary miniseries that shows how World War II changed Hollywood, and how it changed Hollywood, through the experiences of five filmmakers who put their burgeoning careers on hold for their countries: John Ford, William Wyler, John Huston, Frank Capra and George Stevens.
The topic, which is already exciting, is made even stronger because it is carried by famous filmmakers and Hollywood talent: Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, Guillermo del Toro, Lawrence Kasdan and Paul Greengrass, who played the game of educational commentary.
Listening to Guillermo del Toro dissect and put into perspective Capra’s Life is Wonderful, or Steven Spielberg talk about the importance of a film like The Best Years of Our Lives is worth its weight in fleshed-out cinephilia. For those who might be surprised to see such a Who’s Who in this documentary, the answer has already been found: Five Men and a War is co-produced by Amblin Entertainment, Spielberg’s company. This will really help you beat the recall…
Voiced (and VO) by Meryl Streep, the story is handled by French specialist Laurent Bouzereau, who is well-known to fans of the cult films that has gone the extra mile. One hundred hours of archival and news footage, watch over 40 documentaries and educational films directed and produced by five wartime directors, examine 50 studio films and over 30 hours of footage and unedited footage from their war films. All this to deliver the documentary total in three parts of 59, 67 and 69 minutes. Did you say necessary? fine!
Source: allocine
Emily Jhon is a product and service reviewer at Gossipify, known for her honest evaluations and thorough analysis. With a background in marketing and consumer research, she offers valuable insights to readers. She has been writing for Gossipify for several years and has a degree in Marketing and Consumer Research from the University of Oxford.
