I went in to see The Monument Men last Tuesday knowing very little about it, other than it was set in WWII and was about recovering stolen art. I didn't even know Cate Blanchett was in it, which was a welcome surprise. I would definitely recommend going to see it if you like historically based movies or just a good movie with an interesting storyline. There's not a lot of flash or even anything really extraordinary about the movie...but it did have a lot of heart and a story worth telling.
Set in the early 1940s, The Monuments Men was a small misfit group who went into Germany to rescue artistic masterpieces from Nazi pillaging. Determined to protect thousands of years of art and culture, Frank Stokes (George Clooney) requested permission from FDR to seek out stolen art (paintings, sculptures, etc) as the Allies worked their way toward Berlin. He gathered a group of art and architecture experts to aid him, including James Granger (Matt Damon), Richard Campbell (Bill Murray), Walter Garfield (John Goodman), Donald Jeffries (Hugh Bonneville) and Preston Salvitz (Bob Balaban). They began racing the clock to find the missing antiquities once they discovered that Hitler ordered it all to be destroyed in the event of his death or the fall of the third Reich. Together the Monument Men risked...and some lost...their lives, saving irreplaceable pieces of culture and beauty.
The members of the group split up to cover more ground, so the viewer follows several different storylines traveling through France and Germany. Throughout the movie you are exposed to many beautiful pieces of art, parading history before you to understand what was at stake. Considering this cast, it should come as no surprise that there are moments of levity, which are sweet and help to build the relationship between characters.
SPOILER: After Hitler has surrendered, the Nazis guarding one stash of treasure follow his orders and destroy hundreds of classic pieces of art. When the Monument Men find it later, it's mounds of ash, giving the appearance of an masterpiece graveyard. They then find two large barrels full of small gold pieces, which they deduce are teeth. It is a very sad and sobering scene.
Rated PG13 for some images of war violence and historical smoking, the violence was not overly bloody or exaggerated, and other than the Lord's name being taken in vain innumerable times, there wasn't much in the way of swearing either. For more information on content, check out the PluggedIn review.
Fun Facts & Goofs:
- The actor playing the older Frank Stokes visiting the Madonna of Bruges is George Clooney's father, Nick Clooney.
- Early in the movie when the Ghent Altarpiece is being removed by the priests of Saint Bavo Cathedral for safekeeping, it is shown with its lower left panel ("The Just Judges") intact. The panel had in fact been stolen on the night of 10 April 1934 and was not replaced with a copy until 1945. At the time of the movie, therefore, the lower left frame of the altarpiece would have been empty.
- The map of Germany and the Low Countries Stokes and his men are bent over shows a map with the modern-day coastlines, including the Dutch province of Flevoland. However, the 1,000 square kilometer island only came into being in 1968 when it was reclaimed from the sea, long after the Second World War.
- A gigantic 50-star US flag was used in one scene - a US Flag with fifty stars wasn't ordered until 1959.
- When John Goodman stands up during live fire training, The location of the World War I memorial is mistakenly attributed to Saint Louis, Missouri. The World War I Memorial is actually located in Kansas City, Missouri.
- The final scene, following Germany's surrender, shows George Stout briefing President FDR on his accomplishments. FDR had already died before Germany's surrender.
- One of the Monuments Men is taken for a ride on a biplane that has been hidden in a French barn. The aircraft registration number starts with a G, indicating that it was not registered in France, but in Great Britain.
Enjoy and happy Friday!
~ Katie
P.S. I have completed one of my New Years Resolutions today! The payment cleared and my Chase credit card is officially paid off! (happy dance) :)
That was fun- reading about the mistakes, etc. I liked the movie too. I had read a long article on it that convinced me I wanted to see it and I wasn't disappointed. Good review!
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