Delayed from a release late last year, George Clooney‘s fifth directorial effort, the WWII-set drama The Monuments Men, arrives in theaters this Friday. While reviews have been mixed, if you plan on checking it out this weekend, we’ve rounded up five films that would be worth your while to revisit ahead of viewing. Ranging from an example of Clooney’s directorial beginnings to a few features capturing a similar tone of The Monuments Men to a pair dealing with the same topics, check out the five films to brush up on before heading into the theater below.
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (George Clooney)
Clooney’s first foray into feature directing is the kooky, hit-and-miss adaptation of Chuck Barris’ “unauthorized autobiography” of the same name. The highlight here is Sam Rockwell’s superb performance as Barris, the creator of the low-brow entertainment like “The Gong Show” and “The Dating Game,” who also claimed to be a C.I.A. operative responsible for more than a few kills in the field. It’s a strange film that feels exploratory in almost every way. This is a talented man trying something new, and the successes within are very impressive, hinting at the tighter, more formal filmmaker Clooney would go on to become. It’s also now available to stream on Netflix. – Dan M.
The Dirty Dozen (Robert Aldrich)
With countless war dramas hitting theaters, it’s rare for an entry into the genre to take on a tone that isn’t dour, gritty, and altogether humorless. While I don’t discount the excellent films that do master a more realistic technique, The Monuments Men clearly owes a great deal to Robert Aldrich‘s The Dirty Dozen. Also boasting the top-tier, star-studded cast of its day, the character-focused WWII drama takes a similarly noble look at old-fashioned heroics, shot with a vibrant palette. – Jordan R.
The Ocean’s Trilogy (Steven Soderbergh)
I take it as a positive that so many were quick to label The Monuments Men “Ocean’s Eleven in World War II,” if for no other reason than the perception that many are fond of Steven Soderbergh‘s Las Vegas-set heist comedy. George Clooney‘s one-size-fits-all screen persona — the kind where even those who bother to grouse about his politics surrender to the charm so indescribable we can only call it “charm” — would almost ensure that his next round leading men toward hidden treasures plays to at least a few of the same degrees. If that, alone, makes his next directorial effort another reason to revisit the whole trilogy — from the widely beloved first to the supposedly underappreciated second to the uncommonly strong third — it was all a worthwhile effort. – Nick N.
The Rape of Europa (Richard Berge, Bonni Cohen, Nicole Newnham)
With the characters of George Clooney’s film being an amalgamation of real-life individuals, and likely not covering all of the events, history buffs and those simply gleaning more knowledge of the true tales have a few places to turn to. There is, of course, Robert M. Edsel‘s source material for the film, but there’s also a cinematic offering: this 2006 documentary, based off Lynn H. Nicholas‘s novel The Rape of Europa: The Fate of Europe’s Treasures in the Third Reich and the Second World War. Losing the humor found in this weekend’s release, the Oscar shortlisted documentary takes an in-depth look at the pillaged art, providing a captivating personal angle. It’s also available to stream on Netflix, which makes for an ideal accompaniment after or before you view the film. – Jordan R.
The Train (John Frankenheimer)
Clooney’s film will in some way be indebted to John Frankenheimer’s visceral 60’s thriller. The film follows Labiche (Burt Lancaster), a member of the French resistance, as he attempts to stop the Nazis from crossing into Germany with a train loaded with the world’s most valuable artwork. It remains to be seen if Clooney’s Monuments Men can match the visual spectacle of Frankenheimer’s relentless film, as the scale of the train crashes and explosions depicted in The Train is astounding. Frenetic imagery, like the stunning bombing of a French train yard, is the film’s brazen reminder that art is susceptible to destruction, a thrilling thing to watch. – Zade C.
The Monuments Men hits theaters on February 7th.
What films do you plan seeing before The Monuments Men? Are any of the above among your favorites?