The ornaments of civilization

Rating: 9/10 (24 February 2014)

If one doubts the importance of those people called The Monuments Men in saving nothing less than the ornaments of civilization I would commend them to read some ancient history. What Adolph Hitler had was a two fold aim. A museum where he could house the stolen beauty of his conquered countries and view it for himself and his chosen elite. And to destroy the accomplishments of his conquered peoples so that only that what was deemed Nazi acceptable should survive. Remember what the Romans did to the civilization of Carthage. All we know about it is from the view of their conquerors. It's what Hitler ultimately intended.
George Clooney gets a special commission from FDR after he sells the idea of a picked crew of art historians to go in and try to save as much as they could. All in all I'd say that Clooney and his team which consisted of Matt Damon, Bob Balaban, John Goodman, Dimitri Leonidas, Jean Dujardin, and Hugh Bonneville went into harm's way in their mission. They had to persuade our side to let them do their work and not interfere with the war. And the married Matt Damon manages to mix a little pleasure with business with Cate Blanchett who worked at the Louvre and told them what to look for and a general idea where to look.
The Monuments Men is a wonderful film about a little known, but vital mission in World War II. Vital because these men and women were trying to preserve what our civilization is all about.