Woman in Gold

               The list of atrocities Hitler and his Nazis did could go on and on.  Most of these acts can never be reversed, but there are a few that can.  One is the return of art and other possessions to their rightful owners.  During their power, the Nazis raided Jewish homes.  They took whatever they wanted without any thought that these items were not rightfully theirs to have.  If a Nazi wanted a piece of art or jewelry he took it and that was the end of the story.  At least it was for them.  For those who lost their possessions, the sight of their possessions being taken right in front of their eyes stayed with them for the rest of their lives.  What made the situation even worse was once the war was over, most of these items were never returned to their rightful owners.  Instead they went to others who claimed they had the right to own them despite the items having been stolen in the first place.  To right this wrong and get things back, people have a very rough road, but it can be done and that is what Woman in Gold is all about.           

                Forced to flee Austria because of the Nazis, Maria Altmann (Helen Mirren) has not seen the portrait of her aunt Adele in person for years.  Not since a Nazi took it off the wall of her Austrian home and walked off with it, taking all the other priceless possessions of her family along with it.  Now, decades after the war, the painting sits in an Austrian museum under the name The Woman in Gold.  One of their most prized works, this painting isn’t merely a portrait of Maria’s aunt.  It is a masterpiece created by the artist Gustav Klimt.

For most of her life Maria does not make any attempt to get the painting back.  It isn’t until after her sister’s death that she is spurred into action.  In her sister’s possessions, Maria finds letters from a family lawyer explaining the Austrian museum believes they have a right to the portrait because of a will written by Adele.  This will is something the lawyer has never seen which makes Maria suspicious.  How is it that the lawyer has never seen the will but the museum has?  To figure this out, Maria solicits the help of a friend’s son.  Randol Schoenberg (Ryan Reynolds) is a lawyer, but not the kind Maria needs.  He does not have any experience in art restitution and at first he is quite reluctant to help Maria.  Then Randol sees how much the painting is worth and he agrees to see what he can do.         

                The first task is for Randol and Maria to find this supposed will.  They go to Austria and with the help of journalist Hubertus Czernin (Daniel Bruhl) they are given access to a file room that could contain exactly what they are looking for.  It does, and more.  Not only does the file room have Adele’s will, but it also has a piece of paper stating the painting belonged to her husband.  This means Adele did not have any right to bequeath the painting to anyone and it is her husband’s will that should be followed.

                Armed with this new information, Randol and Maria try to present it to the restitution committee.  They, however, don’t want to hear it.  Their minds were made up a long time ago and no matter what Randol and Maria do it won’t make a difference.  The Woman in Gold is a gem to Austria and they will not give it up for anything.  Randol and Maria are forced to go home empty handed.  Before they leave, though, they visit the Holocaust Memorial.  It is there Randol has a change of heart.  He knows he has to keep moving forward in an attempt to get the painting back.  His reasoning isn’t for money anymore.  He is doing it because it is right.          

                There are so many hurdles Randol and Maria had to face in this whole process that it is no wonder Maria wanted to give up at times.  Sometimes you just get tired of fighting, no matter how much you believe in what you are fighting for.  Fortunately both Randol and Maria had someone to pick them up when this happened.  Maria had Randol, and Randol had his wife, Pam (Katie Holmes).  Randol’s poor wife.  She had a lot to deal with during this lengthy process, including how to keep everything together when Randol up and quit his job.  All the unknowns and debt must have been extremely stressful.  Randol was very lucky he had such a supportive wife who knew he was fighting for what he believed in and believed it would all work out in the end.   

                   Since this film was based on actual events I knew the ending before I watched it. What I did not know was all the details in between. It took so much work and dedication to get that painting back. The film showed quite a bit of that work, but I bet it was hardly anything compared to the reality. I can only imagine how much work and effort it takes for families to get their art returned, and I hope that within time it becomes easier. Jewish families lost so much during the time of the Nazis, how is it fair that they should continue to do so now?