05 Mar The Monuments Men
(2014) The Monuments Men is the story of the men and women who, during and after World War II, engineered the rescue of the great works of art stolen by the Nazis. The film was directed, produced, co-written and starred George Clooney, based on the 2009 book by Robert M. Edsel titled The Monuments Men, Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History.
There are many online resources where you can read about the ” true story.” At Edsel’s website, you can read about his extensive research. Edsel is chairman of the Monuments Men Foundation for the Preservation of Art. The work is ongoing still, the quest to find what was lost so many years ago. Browse through these sites and you can see archival photos and videos.
During World War II The Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives Program (MFAA) worked with the Office of Strategic Services to identify and seek out the plundered art. So what happened is true although of course the screenplay had to be put together in a way that the story could be told in just under two hours.
At the main movie site, geared toward education, you can read about background information of the main characters represented. One of the most fascinating characters was Claire Simone, the museum curator played by Cate Blanchett. Claire was based on the amazing deeds of Rose Valland, employee of the Jeu de Paume Museum in Paris who secretly recorded the movements of art and objects stolen by the Nazis in France.
I’m amazed that critics have been harsh. I loved the movie. The six “Monuments Men” depicted were all very different but plausible.
It’s not about the characters. It’s about the art and the amazing efforts undertaken to recapture thousands and thousands of stolen treasures.
In the final scene, many years after the war George Clooney’s character showed his grandson Michelangelo’s Madonna sculpture, one that he had helped recover. I remember thinking, “What a good make-up job they did, aging George.” Then I learned that George’s Dad, Nick Clooney (brother of Rosemary) played that part.
The question had been, “Was it worth it?”
It was.
The Monuments Men at amazon.com
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