“The Monuments Men”

Rated PG-13 for some images of war violence and historical smoking

Here is a news flash: Hollywood is less than meticulous depicting historical facts when making a movie about actual events; they take literary license these filmmakers. Who knew? Shocking is it not?

Producer, director and actor George Clooney has been taking a thorough thrashing for his movie, “The Monuments Men,” the semi-fictional depiction of the men and women who were sent into the European war zone to protect art and architecture and to find art stolen by the Nazis from conquered countries and, of course, the Jews and to return them to the rightful owners.  

The movie is based on Robert M. Edsel’s book, “The Monuments Men.” The book focuses on 10 of the roughly 350 actual members. The movie creates seven characters, which are based loosely on the 10 in the book, sharing none of their actual names. However, owning and having read the book, I can see which character in the film was inspired by those flesh and blood 10. The general story, however, remains true to history. (Mr. Edsel has written two other books on the same subject: “Saving Italy” and “Saving Da Vinci.” He also co-produced a fascinating documentary, “The Rape of Europa.”)

Clooney curiously delayed the opening of “The Monuments Men” whereby he most probably gave up a chance for the film being considered for an Oscar. He probably knew that “The Monuments Men” was not Academy Award material; it isn’t. It is just the telling of an historical event, intellectually heroic, and enormously beneficial to mankind but devoid of dramatic moments. Most of these people spent their time following leads, researching, and poking here and there for hidden Rembrants, Van Goughs, Gauguins, Renoirs and Rubens. There is no “Inglorious Bastards” in “The Monuments Men.” This seems to annoy many critics, which seek high drama. Some armchair (and by that I mean painfully amateur) historians are more than a little peckish about Clooney’s fudging of the facts to appease those seeking something climactic like a dagger shoved into the eye of some Nazi snatching a Van Dyke. Alas for these dolts there was no such dénouement so Clooney was caught between a rock and a hard place. Clooney chose middle ground and is now slammed for it … but not by me.

I, for one, liked “The Monuments Men.” I have a fascination with the Nazi stolen art story. In addition, looking at art frequently makes me weak in the knees. This is true with my ever-constant p(art)ner; we both love art museums. So, that makes two votes for a movie that touches more than a few chords with us.

Mr. Clooney clearly tells the tale with top-shelf talent. He recruited Bill Murray, John Goodman, Bob Balaban, Matt Damon, Hugh Bonneville, Cate Blanchett and Jean Dujardin to share the story. These actors delivered; they have talent and are all reaching a maturity that resonates quality and depth. It shows in “The Monuments Men.” However their performances are muted and dignified.

There are several scenes that are especially worth the price of admission. One features Bill Murray longing for his loved ones at home. Mr. Murray may be the masterful clown in Caddyshack, but he demonstrates his formidable dramatic acting chops in this marvelous scene absent of dialogue and filled with poetic pathos. The rediscovery of the Bruges Madonna and Child by Clooney caused more than a little precipitation in the chair to my left. There is a scene that was so painful, I and my fellow movie watchers involuntarily groaned at the sight. And last, but certainly not least, was the scene of an old man (and perhaps his grandson) coming to see the Madonna and Child in the 1970s. Casting is everything, my dear readers, and it may go unappreciated to many, but it did not get past me.

“The Monuments Men” may not receive an Oscar, but it earned a special place in my movie-art-history loving heart. It may not have had Ms. Blanchett and Mr. Damon cavorting nude within the shadow of the Eiffel Tower erotically celebrating romantic Paris. It may not have had the evisceration of a Nazi to give us revenge for their evil. And it may not have had a cool jeep chase, train wreck, or an explosion to keep us on the edge of our seats. Instead, it was just a very finely performed, fictionalized film depicting WWII heroes that rescued a continent’s cultural heritage for the world and generations to come to appreciate and treasure.

I grant three and a half bow ties out of five to “The Monuments Men.”