Receiving unique, unfettered access, acclaimed film-makers Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky followed Metallica over two and a half years as they faced monumental personal and professional challenges that threatened to destroy the band just as they went back to the studio to record their first album in four years. While the documentary itself provides an insider's view of Metallica, the two and a half years of production (and nearly 1600 hours of footage) garnered far more than can be expressed in a two-hour film. Berlinger's book about the experience reveals the story behind the film, capturing the energy, uncertainty and ultimate triumph of both the filming and Metallica's bid for survival.