THE MONUMENTS MEN

US, 2014, 120 minutes, Colour.
George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Bob Balaban, Jean Desjardins, Cate Blanchett.
Directed by George Clooney.

The Monuments’ Men is very much a George Clooney film. Not only did he co-write it, he directed it and is the star. And he has gathered round him a very strong cast including Matt Damon who has worked with him many times and Cate Blanchett who worked with him in The Good German. Along with the stars, he also has some comic actors including Bill Murray and John Goodman. And, for good measure, he has the Oscar-winner for Best Actor of 2011, Jean Desjardins. There is a nod to the popularity in the United States of Downton Abbey with the presence of Hugh Bonneville.

The plot is interesting, a variation on war films, a more polite and well-mannered Dirty Dozen, for instance. The focus is on the art treasures that the Nazis were stealing all over Europe, especially those from France and Belgium, including the famous altarpiece in the Cathedral in Ghent and Michelangelo’s Madonna from to Bruges. German soldiers are invading the sacred places, interrupting the clergy, even killing them when they find that they are hiding the art treasures.

A concerned group approach President Roosevelt for permission to track down and recover the art treasures. He makes the important point of asking whether the saving of these treasures is worth a human life – with the answer that this is the historical and cultural heritage that is important for recovery after the war and for people’s cultural identity. It is interesting to note that President Truman asks the same question at the end of the war.

George Clooney portrays Stokes, the officer in charge of the operation and he has permission to recruit art experts, who are eager to enter into war action since they have been rejected because of physical disabilities. Matt Damon is Granger, who works at the Met in New York. Bill Murray is an architect. John Goodman another expert. They are put through some rigorous physical training, a bit difficult for people of John Goodman’s build and age! But this is a good opportunity for them to bond. They are joined by Hugh Bonneville, who has had his own personal difficulties in England, but is considered indispensable for the project. Once in Europe they are divided into teams of two except for Granger who goes to liberated Paris to track down a woman who worked in the Jeu des Paumes during the war years and is now considered a collaborator. She is played by Cate Blanchett.

There are several war action sequences, involving snipers, landmines, working undercover, and discovering that a lot of the art has been saved in a variety of mine shafts in Germany. With the approaching end of the war, some German squads are destroying the treasures. So, it is a race against time with some tension as the war ends, the Russians advance in Germany and the American group has to track down the most famous of the famous treasures.

While the film is quite serious in its theme, the writing is often quite humorous, American-style jokes, deadpan quips that give a kind of jaunty air to the film. For most audiences it will be a quite acceptable blend of action, adventure, with comic touches.

1. A popular entertainment, a thriller, war story, mission, the blend of the serious of the comic?

2. George Clooney as director, writer, star? Is interesting themes? His strong cast? The variety of moods for the musical score?

3. The years of World War II, American perspectives, Stokes, his speech to President Roosevelt, permission for the mission? Art, lives compared with the saving of art? The end, President Truman, asking the same question? Donald and his death, Stokes had his mission? The final image of Bruges, the Madonna, the aged Stokes and the boy? The effect of the cultural heritage?

4. A true story, the photos in the final credits?

5. The introduction to the team, their names, appearance, backgrounds in art, jokes about their personalities? The audience identifying the characters with the cast? Stokes and his explanation of the mission? their commitment? Their not being able to participate in the war because of physical disabilities? The opportunity?

6. The glimpses of training, tough going for the elderly? The bonding for the group? Sam Epstein and his work as translator, driving? His becoming an ally? His back story of coming from Karlsruhe, the migration to the United States, his grandfather staying, to Dachau, his talk of the Rembrandt painting, Jews not allowed in to see it? The final discovery and Sam seeing the picture?

7. The issues of art during World War II, the Nazi stealing all the art? The story in Ghent: the priests, concerned about the art, dismantling the famous altar painting, packing it, the trucks taking it, the Nazis stopping it, killing the priests, the art disappearing? Bruges: Michelangelo’s Madonna, Donald going to save it, the priests and the Cathedral, their meals, the Germans interrupting, taking the statue, Donald shooting, his being killed?

8. Donald and his background, his disgrace, yet his art skills, his taste? Stokes recruiting him, partly out of charity? His being shot, the letter home? His honour reinstated? For his father?

9. Paris, Stahle, Himmler, the treasure trove, the champagne? Claire and the assistant spitting in the glass? Claire, her work during the war, considered a collaborator, working for the resistance, her brother, his execution, her asking to his body? Stahle and his stealing the paintings, at the railway station, shooting at Clare?

10. The teams for the mission: Campbell and Savitz and Savitz being a private, the sparring, Campbell as an architect? On mission, the German soldier, his gun, Campbell’s technique for calming down with the cigarettes, each going their own way? Their identifying the artwork? Campbell and the mine and Granger’s danger? The final panel of the Ghent altarpiece and the discovery?

11. Walter and Jean- Claude, the Frenchman and his background, and poor eyes and ears, wanting to be a pilot, his art expertise? The experience of the sniper, Walter and Jean- Claude covering each other, his discovering the sniper was a little boy? The decision about the roads, stopping the car, in the field, and the Germans undercover, his being shot, Walter driving them to safety?

12. Stokes, his coordination, speaking with the authorities, their not wanting any dangers, their not wanting to write home to mothers that their sons had been killed for art?

13. Granger, background at the Metropolitan Museum? Going to Paris, meeting Claire, a frosty response, in her cell, accused of collaboration, her working for the resistance? Her talking, anti-Met? Her presumptions that the Americans wanted to steal the art? The continued discussions? Granger wanting her knowledge, the news about Stahle’s death? Bringing out her book, the accurate records? Coffey for James, the celebration, formal wear, her giving him the tie? Her proposing he stay the night, his marriage and his leaving? Her response to the arts being returned to France? The gallery owner and Granger’s friend? And the tie on the train?

14. Campbell, needing a dentist, the dentist chatting, taking them to see his nephew and wife, the art on the wall, Savitz and his examining the paintings, asking him about Rothschild, Stahle’s lies, the gun, his arrest? Stokes and Granger working together? With Sam Epstein? Going to the towns where the art was said to be, one of them in ruins? Granger and his standing on the mine, Campbell and his architecture of bricks and get him off the mine, the small explosion? Epstein and his explanation of salt, copper, the mines and the discovery of all the art, the Germans on the run and using flamethrowers and explosives to destroy the art and archives? Going to the castle, the hurry, the war ending, the Russians approaching? Stokes and his interrogating the officer, the German hostility, the fact that he had commanded a concentration camp, Stokes’ bagel story about the officer being hanged and then forgetting him?

15. The locals and the blocking of the tunnels to prevent the art being destroyed? Exploding and opening the barriers? Epstein and his discovery of all the gold? The press conference and photos – more for the gold than for the art? Finding the Ghent altarpieces? Stokes finally discovering the Madonna, getting it out?

16. The arrival of the Russians, the American flag, and the smile on the Russian’s face?

17. The end, the explanation of the mission, Truman’s response? The value of the work that this squad did?