When you think of soldiers serving in World War II, you might think about an 18-year-old son fighting for his freedom or a father going to war in order to protect his family. However, have you ever thought of museum curators going to war? “The Monuments Men,” based on a true story, is about seven loyal art directors going to war to find all the missing art pieces that were stolen by the Nazis. These men were stationed in England, Italy and France. Ironically, during Hitler’s childhood, he studied painting and now threatens to destroy the museums’ art, should Germany lose the war.
While sitting in the theater eating my candy, I was disappointed with the audience turnout. There was only one other person in the theater. As a result, I was expecting another WWII film where people are getting engaged to be married or having a child and their loved one dies. I was not too thrilled to be watching a movie about WWII, because they are usually depressing and make me feel helpless. However, “The Monuments Men” differed from every other war movie, because I have never watched a WWII film that focused on finding art. Also, they tried to find the humor in war; it was not just a collage of depressing thoughts and actions. This movie showed how seven men risked their lives for art. President Truman thought the lost art was not worth seven men putting their lives on the line. To these men, though, it was not just another piece of art — it was history. Although war is a serious and dangerous place, it is about fighting for what you believe in, and the Monuments Men fought to save history.
Louise Frogley, the same costume designer of “Iron Man 3,” captured the essence of what fashion was like during that time. She included all the essential clothing and accessories, like evening gowns, glasses, helmets and uniforms that were popular in the 1940s.
The buildings were rustic, and there was nothing too technical or outdated. For instance, instead of using phones to communicate, the soldiers used walkie talkies and radios. The music, composed by Alexandre Desplat, kept you on the edge of your seat and made you worry what would happen next. Some of the music was uplifting but scary, hinting that someone was going to get caught, or worse, killed.
“The Monuments Men” is an action-packed, suspenseful, humorous film. Directed, produced and written by George Clooney, “The Monuments Men” stars Matt Damon, John Goodman, Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett and Clooney. These phenomenal actors made the movie realistic, as if you were a part of that time period. Clooney played Frank Stokes, a fantastic leader and role model for military men. “The Monuments Men” showed how patriotic our men were.
Even though war is violent, the seven Monuments Men were honest to one another. They had not sugarcoated anything to make the war seem better than it was. War is a bloody scene, and it is not to be taken lightly. It made you respect our soldiers. They volunteered to guard our country so we have freedom. The Monuments Men came into this war as observers and, towards the end of war, left as active participants.
Christmas is a tough time to be away from family members. Murray’s character, Sgt. Richard Campbell, was sent a message of his daughter singing “Have Yourself a Merry Christmas.” The words are, “Next year we all will be together, if the fates allow.” Meaning, it is beyond the control of anyone if something happens. You really felt for the Monuments Men fighting during holidays, missing birthdays and major events. They missed their wives, children and hometown all to defend history and culture. By the end of the war, the soldiers had uncovered major pieces of art like The Mona Lisa, Michelangelo’s David and The Madonna.
Before the seven men entered, Stokes had to talk them into going to war. He said something very true: “Destroy a person’s achievements, destroy their history and it is as if they never existed.” Although paintings are just art pieces, they are also part of who we are. I highly recommend this movie; for those who are interested in WWII, the movie is a great history lesson. Not only that, but it is also a part of our past that needs to be understood. In order to change the future, we have to learn from our past failures and achievements.
