自人類有了戰爭以來,不管是宗教沖突,還是民族矛盾,或是領土紛爭,參戰各方都熱衷于攻城掠地,將對方置于死地,很少有人會想起老祖宗留下的藝術品。歷次戰爭奪去的不僅僅是無數人的性命,更讓無數的藝術品蕩然無存。但在歷史上,總會有不少有識之士竭盡全力保護藝術品。《盟軍奪寶隊》講述的正是在二戰結束前夕,一支藝術品搶救隊伍的故事。
1944年年初,第二次世界大戰接近尾聲,盟軍捷報頻傳。美國的弗蘭克·斯托克斯教授力勸總統采取行動,拯救西方文明寶藏。隨后,他奉命組建一支小分隊趕赴歐洲,從德國納粹手里搶回歐洲藝術品,搶救人類的文化遺產。這支七人小分隊到達歐洲后,兵分幾路,設法打聽藝術品的下落。他們冒著戰火輾轉歐洲各地,消除人們對他們的不信任與誤解,與正在潰退的德國軍隊搶時間,最終拯救了大量的藝術品。
這部電影是有史實根據的,但它無法擺脫美國人往自己臉上貼金的嫌疑。其實早在美國人正式參戰之前,多國的藝術家和文化學者就已經開始為搶救藝術品而努力。一個由多國歷史學家、建筑家、策展人及博物館館長所組成的四百多人的“古跡、藝術與檔案”戰隊(Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives),在武裝部隊的護衛下拯救歐洲文明的藝術寶庫,并取得了巨大的成績。
It’s the one thing we simply can’t allow.
我們絕不容許這種事情發生。
(July, 1944, Shrivenham, England, Team leader Frank Stokes talks to team members before heading to France.)
Frank: We’ll be shipping out in the next few days. And although the war is coming to an end, that doesn’t make it any less dangerous. So walk carefully, take no undue chances, and remember that your lives are more important than a piece of art.
(After arriving France)
Frank: Alright, listen up, fellas, ’cause I think you should know the truth as I see it. This mission is never designed to succeed. And if they were honest, they would tell us that. They’d tell us that with this many people dying, who cares about art. They’re wrong, because that’s exactly what we’re fighting for, for our culture and for our way of life. You can wipe out a generation of people, you can burn their homes to the ground, and somehow they’ll still come back. But if you destroy their achievements and their history, then it’s like they never existed. Just ash floating. That’s what Hitler wants. And it’s the one thing we simply can’t allow.
(1944年7月,英國什里弗納姆,隊長弗蘭克·斯托克斯在開往法國前對隊員說。)
弗蘭克:我們將在幾天后乘船出發。雖然戰爭快結束了,但情況一樣危險,所以各位務必行事小心,別冒不必要的險。……