NEW YORK – The
interest high-ranking officials in the Third Reich showed in collecting
valuable art – more often by foul means than fair – has proved a rich source of
cinematic material in recent years.
The 2006 documentary "The Rape of Europa" and the
dramatization "The Monuments Men" (2014) took a broad view of the
subject, while the 2015 feature "Woman in Gold" focused on a quartet
of paintings.
Now director Dan Friedkin offers viewers the polished
fact-based drama "The Last Vermeer" (TriStar). A satisfying
exploration of creativity, the ambiguous business of assessing artistic worth
and the drive for justice in the face of public opinion, his film is acceptable
for most grown-ups and features outstanding performances from its two leads,
Guy Pearce and Claes Bang.
Pearce plays flamboyant Dutch artist Han van Meegeren.
Following the defeat of Germany in World War II, van Meegeren is accused of
making a staggering profit from the sale of a rare masterwork by 17th-century
painter Johannes Vermeer to number two Nazi Hermann Goering. (Only about 34 of
Vermeer's paintings are known to have survived.)
Assigned to investigate the case on behalf of the Allies,
Jewish resistance veteran Lt. Joseph Piller (Bang) is initially exasperated by
van Meegeren's evasive answers and delaying tactics. Yet, as he pursues the
inquiry, aided by his assistant, art historian Minna Holmberg (Vicky Krieps),
and by his comrade from the underground Espen Dekker (Roland Moller), Piller
eventually discovers that all is not as it appears.
While understated, smoldering Piller and elegant
will-o'-the-wisp van Meegeren confront each other, Piller faces a family crisis
at home. Alienated from his wife, he's tempted to find comfort in an affair
with Minna.
The post-combat violence in Friedkin's adaptation of
Jonathan Lopez's 2008 book "The Man Who Made Vermeers" is brief and
discreetly handled. But Piller's potential dalliance is just one of the several
elements that mark it as unsuitable for youngsters. References to van
Meegeren's decadent lifestyle and to the measures Piller's spouse had to take
to infiltrate the Occupation are among the others.
Religion is only dealt with fleetingly in the dialogue,
which at moments connects art vaguely to the divine. More concretely, however,
we see Piller retrieving a box full of Judaica from storage, dusting it off and
placing Sabbath candles on his dining room table with the help of his young
son. Piller clearly welcomes the opportunity to practice his faith openly again
now that the Nazis are gone.
Though it plays intelligently with moral twists and turns,
"The Last Vermeer" has a reliable ethical compass in Piller.
Following him as he gradually uncovers the various levels of truth James McGee,
Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby's script craftily reveals is a pleasure.
The film contains a gory execution, a brief, nongraphic
scene of aberrant behavior, adulterous sensuality, partial nudity, mature
references, a couple of profanities, a milder oath and a few of uses each of
rough and crude language. The Catholic News Service classification is A-III –
adults. The Motion Picture Association rating is R – restricted. Under 17
requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Mulderig is on the staff of Catholic News Service.