The Monuments Men

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to see George Clooney’s The Monuments Men. In general, I rather enjoyed the movie. Despite the discontinuity in tone between humour and seriousness (which didn’t really bother me), I seemed to have liked the movie more than the average reviewer. Perhaps that was because of the relationship the film had with art. Beyond movie ratings, the film had important messages for the public about the significance of culture. It brings meaning to why we need museums and shared cultural centres for all. The Monuments Men was about men saving art during WWII, and a step further – why they chose to save art. Why were these men (and women) putting their lives at risk to save art, and not people, during wartime? Or is there a difference? After war, if no culture remains, then what? In the movie, when Clooney’s character Frank Stokes is asked if putting lives at risk for art was worth it, the answer is a clear yes.

The film also brings important awareness to Nazi looted artwork, which is still a prevalent issue. Many museums are checking the provenance of their artwork and if found to be stolen, a restitution process is usually put into process. For example, Nepip.org offers a searchable registry of objects in U.S. museum collections that changed hands in Continental Europe during the Nazi era (1933-1945).

A few quotes from the film sum up these ideas nicely:

Lt. Frank Stokes: “This is our history and it’s not to be stolen or destroyed.”

Lt. Frank Stokes: “If you destroy an entire generation of people’s culture, it’s as if they never existed. That’s what Hitler wants, and it’s the one thing we can’t allow.”

Lt. Frank Stokes: “Mr. President, we are at a point in this war that is the most dangerous to the greatest historical achievements known to man.”

And finally:

Lt. Frank Stokes: “You can wipe out an entire generation, you can burn their homes to the ground, and somehow they’ll still find their way back. But if you destroy their history, you destroy their achievements, then it’s as if they never existed. That’s what Hitler wants, and that’s exactly what we’re fighting for.”

Hate the movie or love it, the message here is clear – art and culture is important. It is for everyone. It’s what makes us human. It is what will remain when we are gone.

Monuments Men