The Marbles (12A) |Close-Up Film Review
Dir: David Wilkinson, UK, 2025,113 mins
Cast: David Wilkinson, Brian Cox, Janet Suzman
Review by Carol Allen
The Parthenon Marbles, otherwise known as the Elgin Marbles, which have been in the British Museum ever since Lord Elgin brought them to England from Greece over 200 years ago, were stolen by his lordship and should be returned to the Parthenon in Athens from whence they came.
This is obviously a very personally passionate project but Wilkinson has marshalled his arguments and his team of advocates well. They include well known faces such as actors Brian Cox and Janet Suzman – the latter very persuasive as she campaigns outside the British Museum itself – plus a plethora of cultural specialists and other supporters. There is also plenty of footage of the artefacts themselves on display in the museum, if you’ve never seen them, as Wilkinson, who also narrates the film, wanders the galleries admiring them.
The film is wide ranging in its scope, putting what is now regarded by many people as blatant theft into context. Back in the heyday of colonialism and empire, looting or helping oneself to such artefacts was almost routine. At the time Elgin lifted the treasures of the Acropolis, Greece was under the heel of the Ottoman Empire, who raised no objection to his actions. Similar thefts though were happening all over. The film cites one poignant example of a ceremonial shirt which was removed from the body of a Sioux warrior killed in the massacre at Wounded Knee in America. The sacred shirt ended up in the Kelvingrove Museum in Glasgow. It was returned in 1999 to its rightful owners. Scotland, we learn, is at the forefront of the movement to recognise the cupidity and theft through which many of the world’s museums have built up their collections. It was back in the 80s when Greek actress and politician Melina Mercouri first demanded that Britain return the treasures of the Acropolis to their rightful home. However in spite of the high level of support we see in the film, there is as yet no sign of any official movement in that direction.
The question is raised by one contributor as to what is the purpose of the British Museum and similar cultural institutions in other part of the world? Is it to educate us about all world cultures or is it to merely celebrate the national culture of its home country? The conclusion of the film however, reflecting the changing attitude, is that morality trumps that argument and also the often used one that possession is nine tenths of the law and the Parthenon Marbles and indeed similar looted artefacts should be returned to their rightful owners.
