Woman in Gold
| Woman in Gold | |
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Film poster | |
| Directed by | Simon Curtis |
| Produced by |
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| Written by | Alexi Kaye Campbell |
| Starring | |
| Music by | |
| Cinematography | Ross Emery |
| Edited by | Peter Lambert |
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Production companies |
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Release dates |
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Running time |
109 minutes[1] |
| Country |
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| Language | English |
| Budget | $11 million[2] |
| Box office | $20.3 million[3] |
Woman in Gold is a 2015 British-American drama film directed by Simon Curtis and written by Alexi Kaye Campbell. The film stars Helen Mirren, Ryan Reynolds, Daniel Brühl, Katie Holmes, Tatiana Maslany, Max Irons, Charles Dance, Elizabeth McGovern, and Jonathan Pryce.
The film is based on the true story of the late Maria Altmann, an elderly Jewish refugee, living in Los Angeles who, together with her young lawyer, E. Randol Schoenberg, fought the government of Austria for almost a decade to reclaim Gustav Klimt's iconic painting of her aunt, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, which was confiscated from her relatives by the Nazis in Vienna just prior to World War II. Altmann took her legal battle all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States, which ruled in her favor in Republic of Austria v. Altmann (2004).
The film was screened in the Berlinale Special Galas section of the 65th Berlin International Film Festival.[4]
Contents
[show]
Plot[edit]
In a series of flashbacks throughout the film, Maria Altmann recalls the arrival of Nazi forces in Vienna, Austria, and the subsequent suppression of Jewish ideology and the looting and pillaging conducted by the Nazis against Jewish families. Seeking to escape before the country is completely shut off, Maria Altmann and members of her family attempt to flee to the United States. While Altmann is successful in her escape, her parents are unable to flee and are eventually killed in Nazi run death camps.
In the present, a now elderly Altmann attends the funeral for her sister. After the funeral she discovers letters in her sister's possession dating to the late 1940s, which reveal an attempt to recover artwork owned by the Altmann family that was left behind during the family's flight for freedom and subsequently stolen by the Nazis. Of particular note is a painting of Altmann's aunt, now known in Austria as the "Woman in Gold". Altmann enlists the help of Randol Schoenberg, a lawyer with little experience in art restitution, to make a claim in the art restitution board in Austria. After arriving in the country, Altmann discovers that the country's minister and art director are unwilling to part with the painting, which they feel has become part of the national identity, and supply information suggesting that the painting was in fact legitimately willed to the gallery by the family. Upon further investigation, this claim proves to be incorrect as the alleged will left everything to another family member who in turn left the collection to the gallery only if there were no living relatives to take in the paintings. Based on this evidence, Schoenberg files a challenge with the art restitution board, but the challenge to the government's claim is denied in Austria, and Altmann is unable to raise the money need to challenge the ruling. Defeated, both Altmann and Schoenberg return to the United States.
Stateside, Schoenberg continues his research into the case. After happening upon a book with the painting of the "Woman in Gold" on the cover, Schoenberg has an epiphany. Using a loop hole and a limited number of similar cases in which an art restitution law was retroactively applied, Schoenberg files a claim in US court against the Austrian government contesting their claim to the painting. Attempts by the Austrian government to deny the claim are ultimately unsuccessful, and they appeal to the Supreme Court of the United States. In the matter of Republic of Austria v. Altmann, the United States Supreme Court rules in Altmann's favor, which results in the Austrian Government attempting to reach an unequal agreement with Altmann to retain the painting for the gallery, which she refuses. After a falling out with Schoenberg over the issue of returning to Austria for a second time to argue the case, Altmann fires Schoenberg, who then takes upon himself to carry on the case of his own accord.
In Austria the art restitution board hears the case, during which time they are reminded of the Nazi Regime's war crimes by Schoenberg. Schoenberg implores the art restitution board to think of the meaning of the word restitution and to look past the artwork hanging in art galleries to see the injustice to the families who once own such great paintings and were forcibly separated from them by the Nazis. Unexpectedly, Altmann arrives to speak before the board, reminding them of the atrocities of the Nazi regime and that while the gallery may see in the Woman in Gold a national treasure, she sees a family portrait. After making their respective cases, the art restitution board ultimately sides with Altmann, returning her painting. Altmann then elects to have the painting moved to the United States with her, and takes up an offer made earlier by a New York gallery to display the painting on condition that it be a permanent exhibit.
Cast[edit]
- Helen Mirren[5] as Maria Altmann
- Tatiana Maslany[5] as young Maria Altmann
- Ryan Reynolds as Randol Schoenberg
- Daniel Brühl as Hubertus Czernin
- Katie Holmes[6] as Pam
- Max Irons[7] as Fredrick "Fritz" Altmann
- Charles Dance[7] as Sherman
- Elizabeth McGovern[7] as Judge Florence-Marie Cooper
- Jonathan Pryce[7] as William Rehnquist, Chief Justice of The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS)
- Moritz Bleibtreu[7] as Gustav Klimt
- Antje Traue as Adele Bloch-Bauer[6]
- Frances Fisher, Mrs. Schoenberg, Randol's mother[8]
- Tom Schilling as Heinrich
- Anthony Howell as Junior Official
- Allan Corduner as Gustav
- Henry Goodman as Ferdinand
- Olivia Silhavy as Elisabeth Gehrer
- Justus von Dohnányi as Toman, representative of the Belvedere Gallery
- Richard Reid
- Ludger Pistor as Wran
- Joseph Mydell as Judge Clarence
- Stephen Greif as Bergen
Production[edit]
On 15 May 2014, Tatiana Maslany was cast in a principal role as the younger version of Helen Mirren's character, appearing in the WWII flashbacks.[5] on 29 May, Katie Holmes joined the cast of the film.[6] on 30 May, Max Irons, Charles Dance, Elizabeth McGovern, Jonathan Pryce, Moritz Bleibtreu and Antje Traue joined the cast of the film.[7] on 9 July, Frances Fisher joined the film to play Reynolds' character's mother.[8]
The reproduction of the key painting, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, was painted by scenic artist Steve Mitchell, who spent five weeks making the re-creation. He also made a partly finished version as well as a partial version for a close-up.[9]
Filming[edit]
Principal photography began on 23 May 2014 and lasted for eight weeks in the United Kingdom, Austria, and the United States.[7][10] on June 9, Katie Holmes was spotted filming some scenes in London.[11] on June 16, the filming was underway in London.[12] on July 1, Reynolds and Mirren were spotted filming in Vienna, Austria.[13] on July 9, the filming was reportedly underway in Los Angeles.[8]
The Vienna airport scenes were filmed in the UK at Shoreham Airport in West Sussex.
Reception[edit]
Woman in Gold has received mixed reviews from critics. on Rotten Tomatoes the film had a rating of 54%, based on 99 reviews, with an average rating of 5.8/10. The site's summation stated: "Woman in Gold benefits from its talented leads, but strong work from Helen Mirren and Ryan Reynolds isn't enough to overpower a disappointingly dull treatment of a fascinating true story."[14] on Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating, the film has a score of 51 out of 100, based on 31 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[15]
See also[edit]
- The Rape of Europa, a 1994 book and 2006 film about the Nazi plunder
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