Fire thieves in the dark corner of history

Jules 2022-03-28 09:01:02

Text / Wu Shaoxu

Originally published in Wenzhou Evening News

During World War II, the Nazis carried out large-scale looting of cultural relics and works of art from the aggressor countries. Hitler planned to build the world's largest museum in Germany through these looted cultural relics. For a time, all the art works of the masters faced unprecedented planned destruction. The movie "Allied Treasure Team" is based on this real event, and tells the efforts and efforts of the non-military team composed of art experts established by the Allies during this period to maintain these millions of cultural relics. A story of sacrifice. The film was directed and starred by George Clooney, with Matt Damon and Carter Blanchett in the performances, with a strong cast.

The film is different from the previous World War II films. "Saving Private Ryan" reflects the humanistic care in the war; "Schindler's List" and "The Pianist" silently show the spiritual trajectory of the Jews in those suffering years; "The Banner of the Fathers" and "Letter from Iwo Jima" describe the destruction of the human mind caused by war from two perspectives. Most of these touching World War II films are set against the backdrop of the treacherous war scenes, telling all kinds of deep-rooted despair and cruelty. The film puts aside the human side of the war, and focuses more on the unfolding of specific events, slowly telling the unknown past events in the war-torn era.

Yes, this is a group of characters forgotten by many in the history of WWII. They are not fighters who charge into battle, nor commanders with thousands of troops in their hands, and even their use of weapons is very jerky. But they are not a weakling. "For these works of art, sometimes it's worth sacrificing your life!" The team members in the movie made an impressive statement just before their death. George Clooney said: "Even if the Nazis wiped out some people, the remaining people can continue to reproduce, and art, if destroyed by theft, is equivalent to civilization, which has been cut off alive." The civilization composed of cultural relics and works of art is the spiritual history of a nation, and destroying these civilizations will be a disaster for a nation. And it was these people who were helpless, who recaptured the history and civilization of mankind from the ruins of artillery fire. In this sense, it can be said that they are the fire thieves of human civilization! At the end of the film, groups of young people visit the statue of the Virgin Mary. They discuss, do classes, and look at this sculpture that was once exchanged for life by the ancestors. But they didn't know that behind them stood an old man, a fire thief who was not afraid to sacrifice for the sculpture in front of him and for the sake of human civilization. It's just that they have been forgotten by history in a dark corner!

The film does not appear blunt in showing the details of these events, and even moves people in many places, but under the influence of Hollywood popcorn movies, Chinese people obviously have a long dialogue, no adventure and tension, no thrilling film. feel sleepy. On the other hand, because the time period of the film is at the end of the war, it pays attention to moderation in grasping the tone of the war, which causes the film to have a loose structure, procrastination, lack of stories full of suspense, and can never create a sense of tension with climaxes. "Allied Treasure Team" has the pattern of a commercial film but no blockbuster momentum; it has the background of a literary film but no artistic temperament, and can only be lost between the edge of literature and art and business! This is a big pity!

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Extended Reading
  • Etha 2021-12-01 08:01:24

    Or George Clooney wants to make a fuss about the truth too much, the story is too flat. Sections of boring conversations, a series of stories without twists and turns. Only sad but not adventurous and nervous, not to mention the thrilling. Even due to the lack of humility, the sacrifices made by those people to protect the works of art seem so light. Movies are movies after all, and more twists and thrills are needed to support them. Except for Cate Blanchett, there are too few things to watch. Always play the main melody

  • Sylvan 2022-04-01 09:01:04

    The plot is loose and the characters flat. The perfect interpretation of the running account, an excellent example of false big empty. After racking my brains, I can't think of the slightest merit. It's crazy to use a good theme to shoot this virtue. The super strong cast is used as a bunch of zombies. In addition, Wang Laowu is going to the throne of Hollywood's No. 1 preaching and teaching director, but unfortunately this film failed to do a good job of preaching.

The Monuments Men quotes

  • Frank Stokes: Yesterday we fond 16,000 pieces of art in a copper mine. It seems the Germans take better care of their art than people.

  • Preston Savitz: Do we get to kill anybody?