Rating of
3/4
The Art of War
Chris Kavan - wrote on 02/09/14
Is Monuments Men the movie I was hoping it would be? No - there are plenty of issues with George Clooney's film about a group of non-soldiers who are formed with the task of preventing the destruction of the world's precious art as WWII comes to close. But for all the faults, Monuments Men is still an interesting look into this period of time - especially those who find the value in protecting our historic heritage.
Although Monuments Men was not embraced by critics, it had a much more warm welcome to general audiences. I can see the issues - none of the characters are given much of a backstory or development. We learn just enough about each one that they each standout - but some would say not enough about any one of them to care too much about what happens. I would counter that Monuments Men is less a story about these characters than the story about what they were trying to do - and in that case, the movie succeeds. Granted, I agree that this probably would have made a much better mini-series (ala Band of Brothers) rather than a film - that would have had a bigger impact if you could really dig into the thoughts and issues these men faced.
One could argue the talented cast - besides Clooney, you have Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Jean Dujardin, Hugh Bonneville, Bob Balaban and Dimitri Leonidas - just aren't given the full attention they deserve. One can look at the rather tepid "romance" between Damon and Blanchett to realize how much more the movie could have been with a little more development. The film seems to start off as a rather casual, even fun, jaunt but takes a complete 180 when people start dying and they enter the real war. This jarring effort also lost quite a few points with critics - and while it could have been done better, it wasn't a deal breaker for me.
Where I feel Monuments Men succeeded was in its intent - that art - our history, our legacy - and it's preservation, is important and that if it wasn't for a group of dedicated men, we might have lost a lot more during WWII. Throughout the film the rank-and-file military - and even the President of the United States himself - seems to be angry and confused over why these people would choose to risk their lives over something as seemingly as trivial as art. But take a look at the Ghent Altarpiece or the Madonna of Bruges (both pieces that play an integral part in the film) and tell me you don't have some kind of reaction. My first thought after viewing the film is that if, would that I had the money and means, I would love to visit these European cities and see these masterpieces in person.
That's the power of our collective history - artists like Michelangelo, Rembrandt and Picasso - there is a reason we revere their accomplishments, and a reason we should care and, even in times of war, choose to protect their work. And that is what I got from Monuments Men and why it worked for me. Srre, I would have liked to know more about the men involved - their history, their motivations, their lives - but in the end, what they stood for, and what they accomplished, that was good enough for me.
