MONUMENTS MEN
Director George Clooney
Cert PG-13
118 minutes
Ignore the mainstream reviews of the film, or the problem some had with the alleged confusion over what mood George Clooney was aiming for (classic, epic, nostalgic, slick, clichéd). This is a film worth seeing if you want an evening which is entertaining and, lightly, thought-provoking.
A smattering of blood and bad language (sadly), some tense moments – the best of which showed the power of the bonds of real brotherly love – and the beautiful cinematic juxtaposition of the horror of death in a field hospital with a stunningly pure voice singing a Christmas song, make this into an almost 1940s war film, but with relatively little jingoism.
Respect for marriage
The biggest surprise lies in its respect for marriage. Despite the opportunity for an adulterous relationship, a character keeps his wedding ring on and his covenant preserved. A cheer from the back row of the cinema may have been out of place, but it was hard to restrain oneself at this rare movie moment.
Preserving a culture
Is the preservation of much that defines a culture as thinking, feeling, creative humans worth dying for? Is a people group destroyed if its art is hoarded or burned? What would I risk my life for? For something created, or for the Creator? For the expression of truth, or the Truth? Who would lay down their life for me? Who indeed.
