An intelligent documentary about war photography

The Netflix 3-part series Five Came Back is an examination of the role movies, and prominent movie directors, played in creating propaganda films and documentaries at the outset and throughout World War II, with particular focus on the lives, contributions, and finally postwar careers of 5: Capra, Ford, Huston, and Stevens, Wyler. The footage, raw and completed, is great, as are the accounts of the challenges and risks of wartime photography: accompanying crews on bombing runs and in airfights, joining the forces to capture the first landings on D-Day, and of course the famous footage of the first revelations about Dachau. Some of the footage was too sensitive ever to produce and remained for years in vaults; military leaders were concerned about showing the carnage of war. That said, the military was quite progressive in recognizing the way in which documentary movies could inspire patriotism, valor, and sacrifice - and the film recognizes that the American military learned from the success of the hideous films of Refenstahler that inspired Germans before the war. Some of the most interesting material in this documentary showed the postwar work of these directors, who clearly became more profound and serious in their work following the war - the experience changed them at the core, leading to such films as The Best Years of Our Lives (directly about the struggles of returning soldiers) and what was apparently the first serious documentary about what we now call PTSD, a close examination of military veterans in a psychiatric facility. At times 5 Came Back is a little too celebratory - reminded me of some of the Oscar ceremony This is Hollywood clips - and there's probably too much use made of talking heads, although the directors (Spielberg, Coppola, et al) who comment on the war footage are top rank and have some intelligent observations and background info.