The Monuments Men
George Clooney, directed, starred in, and co-wrote The Monuments Men, based on the book of the same name by Robert M. Edsel and Bret Witter. He is joined by an all-star cast, including Matt Damon, Bill Murray and John Goodman.
The film tells the true story of the men of the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program. These civilian men were recruited into WWII in order to hunt down and keep safe the thousands of pieces of historical art that were seized by Hitler’s army. The film has been criticized for being neither hilarious comedy, nor searing drama. It does, though, tell a heartfelt story of a group of brave men who were willing to put their lives on the line for their belief that art is one of mankind’s most precious endeavours.
The Monuments Men is interesting, as it serves to remind us that whilst the soldiers on the front lines were arguably the bigger heroes, there were many different people serving their countries in myriad different ways during WWII, and all these roles held great importance.
