The Z-Files

As I sat to write this first installment of the new and hopefully improved Z-Files (a week after deadline, but we won’t dwell on that) on the eve of Veteran’s Day, I found it appropriate that I decided to write about a World War II movie that is dear to my heart.

Normally when one thinks of war movies, images of fighting and explosions come to mind. There have been so many great films about that war, The Longest Day, A Bridge Too Far, The Sands of Iwo Jima, Tora! Tora! Tora!, Saving Private Ryan, and many, many more. But for me, it is a much more recent one that is my favorite. There is very little fighting in it, and almost no explosions. It highlights a little known and previously unpublicized account of a group of brave men, men who went into World War II well past their prime, at an age when they would have been told they were too old to enlist under normal circumstances. But they didn’t join the U.S. Army to fight. They joined to find and save the greatest pieces of Art in the Western World.

I am writing, of course, about The Monuments Men. I read the book before I saw the movie. Actually, I read the book before the movie was even released. And, as is often the case with most books and movies, the book is much better and has much more information and many more details. But it was news of the movie that first piqued my interest in the story. And I am grateful that George Clooney (who happens to be one of my least favorite actors) thought enough of the Monuments Men story to bring it to life on the big screen. I have heard people call the film boring, or say that it drags. If you are looking for the typical action packed war film, you will be disappointed. But if you want to learn something about history, as wells as something about human nature and the human spirit, it is important to learn about the Monuments Men and their story.

There is a scene in the film the night before the Monuments Men are to begin their mission that sums up what they are all about. It is a speech George Clooney, as Lieutenant Frank Stokes, gives. He says:

“This mission’s never designed to succeed. If they were honest they would tell us that. They’d tell us that with this many people dying who cares about art? They’re wrong, because that’s exactly what we’re fighting for, for our culture and for our way of life. You can wipe out a generation of people; you can burn their homes to the ground, and somehow they’ll still come back. But if you destroy their achievements and their history, then it’s like they never existed. Just ash floating. That’s what Hitler wants. And it’s the one thing we simply can’t allow.”

            This scene really struck a nerve when I saw it for the first time. And it is the reason why Mr. Marche has poked his head into my room after school multiple times over the last year and a half and seen me watching The Monuments Men at least a half a dozen times. That speech speaks to my heart, and it speaks to my soul. The message is one of the most powerful I have ever experienced in film or literature because the  art, the poetry, the literature, and the music (any creative work) a generation leaves behind tells us more about who they were, what they believed and how they lived than any textbook ever could.

Robin Williams’ character in Dead Poets Society tells us, “Medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love; these are what we stay alive for.” And those are the things the Monuments Men were able to save and help us preserve.

            I admit I may be guilty of having a strong bias because of the two main pieces of art the film revolves around. While the Monuments Men are trying to find and return as much art as possible, the center pieces in the film are The Bruges Madonna and The Ghent Altarpiece. I was fortunate enough to live in Europe for two years (July 2005 through July 2007). One of our first trips was to the city of Bruges in Belgium. I visited the Church of Our Lady and gazed at the Bruges Madonna. It is the only statue sculpted by Michelangelo that left Italy during his lifetime. One of our last trips was to the city of Ghent, also in Belgium. I visited the Cathedral of Saint Bavo on a Sunday and was able to see the masterpiece, The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, (The Ghent Altarpiece) with the wings fully open.

            At the time I was unaware of the Monuments Men story. I had no idea that I owed a group of soldiers who risked their lives to save them, a debt of gratitude I can never hope to repay. The exquisite detail in these two pieces is a testament to the talents and faith of mankind. They, like all great artwork, sculpture, writing, and music tell our story. They show us what God has given us and what we are capable of accomplishing. So, as I draw to a close I urge everyone who is still with me to watch the film or read Robert M. Edsel’s book. Learn about the Monuments Men story. It is a part of World War II and military service that deserves more recognition than it gets.
Mr. Z