The Rape of Europa
The Rape of Europa Image
Metascore
77 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 18 Critics What's this?

User Score
7.5 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 6 Ratings

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  • Summary: The Rape of Europa is an epic journey through seven countries that follows the violent whirlwind of fanaticism, greed, and warfare, which threatened to wipe out the artistic heritage of Europe. For 12 long years, the Nazis looted and destroyed art on an unprecedented scale in history. But heroic young art historians and curators from America, as well as across Europe, fought back. They did so in a miraculous campaign to rescue then return the millions of lost, hidden, and stolen treasures. (Menemsha)… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 18
  3. Negative: 0 out of 18
  1. Philadelphia Inquirer
    Reviewed by: Carrie Rickey
    100
    Throughout the film its makers pose the question of whether saving a work of art is as important as saving a human life. The question is not answered, and perhaps ultimately unanswerable. Yet Europa movingly shows how for many, art and artifacts are living things.
  2. L.A. Weekly
    Reviewed by: Ernest Hardy
    80
    It’s a History Channel or PBS special that’s leaped the fence from the boob tube onto the big screen. And it’s riveting.
  3. Salon.com
    Reviewed by: Andrew O'Hehir
    80
    All in all, an exciting and terrifying new perspective on an era you probably thought you understood.
  4. New York Post
    Reviewed by: V.A. Musetto
    50
    Uninspired in style, and Joan Allen's narration is dry.

See all 18 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. JayW
    10
    Stunning documentary about the cultural pretenses that underlied Nazi ideology and war policy to the bitter end, and the Allies' conflicted views about the value of Europe's art treasures at a time of deadly conflict. This masterful blending of archival footage and interviews keeps you glued to your seat. Superb in all respects. See it on a big screen if you can!… Expand
  2. Christopher_G2
    8
    The Rape of Europa is a fascinating documentary that tells of the story of the theft, destruction, and in some cases saving of art during World War II. Narrated by Joan Allen the film takes you through the Nazi plundering of paintings in Poland, France and other countries (especially by Nazi art collectors like Hitler and Goering) to the efforts by citizenry to save museum pieces in Paris and Leningrad, to the unfortunate destruction of Renaissance architectural wonders during allied bombings in Italy and the German army demolishing various important Russian structures in the east. It also goes into efforts that are still going on to track down pieces since missing, and tells of efforts to give back personal effects to families of Jews, items the Nazis stole without thinking twice from people they considered inhuman. All this is told with a delicate balancing act, reminding the viewer of the far greater tragedy of the war: the tens of millions of lives lost, most of them civilians. The misfortune of art during the war is not even close to that level of tragedy, but that doesn’t mean it should be ignored. Art is part of one’s culture and means a lot to great number of people. This is a story that deserves to be told, and though maybe this documentary goes in a few too many directions I found it quite interesting to see this perspective of the War that people rarely talk about.… Expand

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