The Monuments Men (2014)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
An Allied unit of art experts is tasked with recovering stolen treasures from the Nazis during World War II.
The story
In 1943, as the Allies push back Axis powers in Italy, Frank Stokes convinces President Roosevelt that victory is meaningless if Western civilization's artistic treasures are lost. Roosevelt directs Stokes to assemble an Army unit of museum directors, curators, art historians, and an architect. Known as the 'Monuments Men,' the unit is tasked with guiding Allied forces to find stolen art to return it to rightful owners. By July 1944, the team faces obstacles from officers who refuse to risk troops for art, and they must navigate a landscape of Nazi theft and destruction across occupied Europe.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1943, Frank Stokes convinces President Roosevelt to form a unit of art experts to recover stolen treasures from the Nazis. The 'Monuments Men' begin their mission as the Allies push back in Italy. In 1944, the team operates in France, where curator Claire Simone is forced to assist a German officer in stealing art. Stokes' unit faces resistance from Allied officers and splits up to cover more ground. While some members find stolen masterpieces in a farmer's house, others face tragedy, including the death of British officer Donald Jeffries in Bruges. Simone eventually joins the team after seeing the German Nero Decree. The group discovers art hidden in mines and castles, competing with Soviet forces who are also seizing art as reparations. The team successfully discovers a mine with over 16,000 art pieces and the German national treasury's gold reserve. As the war ends in May 1945, they race against the Soviets to evacuate the Ghent Altarpiece and the Madonna of Bruges from a mine in Austria. Stokes reports the recovery to President Truman, who questions if the lives lost were worth the art; Stokes affirms they were. In 1977, an elderly Stokes shows his grandson the Madonna of Bruges.
- First release year
- 2014
- Runtime (minutes)
- 118
- Production countries
- Germany; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- George Clooney
- Writers
- George Clooney · writer; Grant Heslov · writer
- Cast and characters
- George Clooney · Lieutenant Frank Stokes; Nick Clooney · an aged Stokes; Matt Damon · Lieutenant James Granger; Bill Murray · Sergeant Richard Campbell; John Goodman · Sergeant Walter Garfield; Jean Dujardin · 2nd Lieutenant Jean-Claude Clermont; Bob Balaban · Private Preston Savitz; Hugh Bonneville · 2nd Lieutenant Donald Jeffries; Cate Blanchett · Claire Simone; Serge Hazanavicius · René Armand; Sam Hazeldine · Colonel Langton; Dimitri Leonidas · Private Sam Epstein
- Genres
- war; drama
- Themes
- preservation of culture; sacrifice; artistic heritage; war and destruction
- Tone and mood
- nostalgic; memorial; warm; ambling
- Setting
- Europe (Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Bruges) during World War II (1943-1945) and a brief scene in 1977.
- Premise and plot tags
- based on true events; historical fiction; war drama; art history
- Source material / true-story basis
- The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History by Robert M. Edsel and Bret Witter (2007)
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, with some praising its production and cinematography while others criticized its narrative and tone. It was a commercial success, grossing $156.4 million against a $70 million budget.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 30% · review count: 257; Metacritic · score: 52 · scale: 100 · review count: 43; CinemaScore · score: B+ · scale: A to F
- Production trivia
- The film's release was delayed because of issues balancing humor with the serious nature of the subject matter.; The film was screened at UNESCO on March 27, 2014, for a panel discussion on the preservation of heritage.; The film was originally set to be released on December 18, 2013.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…