The Rape of Europa
Metascore
77 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 18 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 18
  3. Negative: 0 out of 18
view
per page
  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. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: Jonathan Rosenbaum
    100
    Filmmakers Richard Berge, Bonni Cohen, and Nicole Newhman do a superb job of telling this neglected story in vivid detail.
  3. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Ken Fox
    88
    This gripping documentary sheds light on the frightening totality of Hitler's vision for a Germanic Europe, and the extent to which he and his Nazi thugs were no better than common thieves.
  4. Portland Oregonian
    Reviewed by: Shawn Levy
    83
    The film is somewhat scattered in construction, but it's an eye-opener.
  5. Baltimore Sun
    Reviewed by: Michael Sragow
    83
    With Joan Allen bringing a crisp intelligence to the sharp, unsentimental narration, it's both awful and fascinating to follow Hitler's warped growth from frustrated painter to self-appointed arbiter of Germanic art.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.5 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 6 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. 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.… Full Review »
  2. 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!… Full Review »
See all user reviews »