The Monuments Men (2014)

Based on the true story of the greatest treasure hunt in history, *The Monuments Men* is an action drama focusing on seven over-the-hill, out-of-shape museum directors, artists, architects, curators, and art historians who went to the front lines of WWII to rescue the world’s artistic masterpieces from Nazi thieves and return them to their rightful owners. With the art hidden behind enemy lines, and with the full might of the German army between them and their prize, the question looms: how could these guys possibly hope to succeed? While not a traditional biography of a single individual, the film earns its place on a list of best biographical movies by dramatizing the collective efforts of a real-life Allied unit, the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program. It brings a largely forgotten but vital chapter of World War II history to the forefront, celebrating a group of unlikely heroes whose mission was not to conquer land but to preserve culture itself. Though it takes dramatic liberties by compositing characters and streamlining events for narrative effect, the film powerfully captures the spirit and historical importance of its subjects. It successfully argues that the preservation of a civilization's heritage is a cause worth fighting for, immortalizing the incredible true story of the scholars-turned-soldiers who saved a millennium of Western art from destruction.