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ArtsNFashion
Review by James
Colt Harrison
Sometimes
the most interesting stories are true. History is full of true stories that
would warrant a motion picture being made. One of those true stories is the
basis of George Clooney’s World War II film The Monuments Men from 20th
Century Fox/Columbia Pictures.
Who
were The Monuments Men? They were an Allied group of men whose main concern was
finding and retrieving precious pieces of art and other culturally historical
items before Hitler’s troops destroyed them.
Based
on the book The Monuments Men: Allied
Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History as written
by Robert M. Edsel, the film’s screenplay was fashioned by George Clooney and
Grant Heslov to make it more palatable for today’s audiences. Not many people
who were born after World War II are even aware of these events, so the film
serves as a great reminder of what sacrifices were made to save our cultural heritage.
The
platoon chosen to carry out the mission was drawn from men were were artists,
architects, museum curators and art historians in real life. They were not
strictly military men, but they had to go through basic training anyway. This
group of middle-aged men were not cut out for battle, but they had to learn to
defend themselves in any eventuality. Clooney and Heslov always inject a little
humor into the otherwise serious subject. With such pros as John Goodman as a
typical American and the affable and suave French star Jean Dujardin trading
quips, the film presents much-needed lighter moments when situations get tough
and serious.
Clooney
plays Frank Stokes (a fictionalized version of Harvard art conservationist
George Stout), the leader of the group. At times he borders on being almost
preachy when he reminds us over and over how important these art treasures are
and how imperative it is they be saved. He even convinced President Roosevelt
to give him the go-ahead to enter Germany to capture the stolen artworks. Once
would have been enough to get across the point and the main reason why these
men had to put their lives in danger to save works of art.
Stokes
took FDR’s ‘yes’ as approval and put together some knowledgeable guys who were
too old to serve in the military and got them into shape. They were all
eggheads of one sort or another. Sweet-natured Matt Damon played a strait-laced
art expert, Bill Murray was recruited because he is an architect, Hugh
Bonneville (so good in Downton Abbey) is recruited for his knowledge of British
artworks, previously-mentioned Jean Dujardin is a French art dealer, Bob
Balaban is an art historian, Goodman is a sculptor, and handsome young Dimitri
Leonidas plays a German Jew who translates for them. It’s a marvelous cast and
director Clooney tries to give them all some significant screen time.
Out
of the blue Cate Blanchett’s character appears wearing a severe hairdo that
looks much like Ruth Buzzi’s on TV’s Laugh In. No matter; she plays an
important curator who catalogued all the Nazi stolen treasures. Her knowledge
Is tremendously helpful to the guys, but she’s a sourpuss most of the time who
wears a chip on her shoulder about the Americans being in her country. Damon,
in his fractured French, reminds her she would be speaking German were it not
for the American invasion. Banchett’s Rose Villand thaws a little and soon
collaborates.
Clooney
throws in a little action to keep the audience awake. However, this is not a
typical Hollywood war picture with zillions of gunfights and planes dropping
bombs. The men do engage is some firefighting and some are lost.
The
picture serves its purpose in an entertaining way. We learn about how a brave
group of men risked their lives—and lost some of them--- to save treasures such
as Picassos, Van Goghs and Rodin sculptures from the nasty destructive hands of
Hitler’s Nazis.
ArtsNFashion Winter 2013/2014
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