The Monuments Men Quotes
An unlikely World War II platoon is tasked to rescue art masterpieces from Nazi thieves and return them to their owners.
Frank Stokes: You can wipe out an entire generation, you can burn their homes to the ground and somehow they'll still find their way back. But if you destroy their history, you destroy their achievements and it's as if they never existed. That's what Hitler wants and that's exactly what we are fighting for.
Claire Simone: [after listening to Granger attempt to communicate very badly in French] Would you stop speaking French? Or whatever language you are speaking?
James Granger: Well, if it weren't for us, you'd... you'd be speaking German.
Claire Simone: No. If it was not for you, I might be dead. But I would still be speaking French.
James Granger: [Glances away] OK.
James Granger: Well, if it weren't for us, you'd... you'd be speaking German.
Claire Simone: No. If it was not for you, I might be dead. But I would still be speaking French.
James Granger: [Glances away] OK.
Frank Stokes: I was told that before you were sent here, you ran one of those camps.
Colonel Wegner: Who told you that?
Frank Stokes: A little bird.
Colonel Wegner: You're not Jewish, lieutenant?
Frank Stokes: No.
Colonel Wegner: Then you should thank me.
Frank Stokes: You know, I don't smoke either. My first cigarette.
[lights cigarette]
Frank Stokes: But I want to remember this moment. I'm gonna go home soon. Got a nice apartment in New York on the Upper West Side. There's a deli down the street called Sid's. Every morning, I walk there and I get a cup of coffee and a bagel, and I read the newspaper. I think about it every day here. It'll be the first place I go when I get stateside. I'm gonna be sitting there, eating one of Sid Meldman's toasted onion bagels and reading a tiny article in the New York Times, page... 18... that says you, Colonel Wegner, were hanged for your crimes you committed during the war and you were buried in an unmarked grave. And then I'll think about my cigarette... and I'll think about you sitting there with that stupid look on your face. Then I'll finish my coffee, leave the paper for Sid to wrap fish in. I'll never think of you again.
Colonel Wegner: Who told you that?
Frank Stokes: A little bird.
Colonel Wegner: You're not Jewish, lieutenant?
Frank Stokes: No.
Colonel Wegner: Then you should thank me.
Frank Stokes: You know, I don't smoke either. My first cigarette.
[lights cigarette]
Frank Stokes: But I want to remember this moment. I'm gonna go home soon. Got a nice apartment in New York on the Upper West Side. There's a deli down the street called Sid's. Every morning, I walk there and I get a cup of coffee and a bagel, and I read the newspaper. I think about it every day here. It'll be the first place I go when I get stateside. I'm gonna be sitting there, eating one of Sid Meldman's toasted onion bagels and reading a tiny article in the New York Times, page... 18... that says you, Colonel Wegner, were hanged for your crimes you committed during the war and you were buried in an unmarked grave. And then I'll think about my cigarette... and I'll think about you sitting there with that stupid look on your face. Then I'll finish my coffee, leave the paper for Sid to wrap fish in. I'll never think of you again.
Richard Campbell: [after coming across an armed Nazi soldier in the night] Here's the thought. We put down our guns; you go your way, we go our way, no hard feelings.
[to Savitz about the German]
Richard Campbell: He doesn't speak any English!
Preston Savitz: Not a word.
Richard Campbell: Okay.
Preston Savitz: You're just going to sit down?
Richard Campbell: Yeah, I think - why don't we all just sit down for a sec. Okay.
Preston Savitz: Shh.
[Savitz sits down too]
Preston Savitz: [Campbell throws a pack of cigarettes to the Nazi. The Nazi takes one and then throws the pack to Savitz] I don't smoke.
Richard Campbell: Take a cigarette.
Preston Savitz: I don't smoke!
Richard Campbell: Take a goddamn cigarette.
[Savitz does and they all smoke]
German Soldier at Ghent: John Wayne!
Richard Campbell: John Wayne.
[to Savitz about the German]
Richard Campbell: He doesn't speak any English!
Preston Savitz: Not a word.
Richard Campbell: Okay.
Preston Savitz: You're just going to sit down?
Richard Campbell: Yeah, I think - why don't we all just sit down for a sec. Okay.
Preston Savitz: Shh.
[Savitz sits down too]
Preston Savitz: [Campbell throws a pack of cigarettes to the Nazi. The Nazi takes one and then throws the pack to Savitz] I don't smoke.
Richard Campbell: Take a cigarette.
Preston Savitz: I don't smoke!
Richard Campbell: Take a goddamn cigarette.
[Savitz does and they all smoke]
German Soldier at Ghent: John Wayne!
Richard Campbell: John Wayne.
