The story behind ‘Woman in Gold’

By Eva Trieger

SOLANA BEACH, California — Woman in Gold made its debut in theaters in April of this year, unfurling the true story of an Austrian-American woman seeking to reclaim artwork that had been seized by the Nazis during World War II.  Director Simon Curtis granted me a phone interview prior to the DVD release of this film.  The inspiring story is available on Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand.

Curtis first learned of Maria Altmann’s family’s loss while watching a BBC documentary five or six years ago.  He was fascinated by the story, and though his own Jewish family resided in the UK prior to the war, he felt an affinity and connection to the Jews of Eastern Europe who suffered indignity and brutality at the hands of the Nazis.

It is widely known that the Nazis absconded with a great deal of artwork and other possessions from the countries they invaded.  I wanted to know why Curtis found this story unique.  “Maria’s uncle commissioned the painting.”  Curtis told me this made it resonate on a more human and personal level for the director.

Gustav Klimt’s “Woman in Gold” portrays Altmann’s aunt, Adele Bloch Bauer, and hung in the family home, along with four other paintings by this same artist.  Maria fled Austria, without her parents, and created a new life in America, but when she learned these paintings resided in the Belvedere Palace in Vienna, she became determined to reclaim her family’s property and her own heritage.  Engaging a young, rather inexperienced lawyer to take her case, the duo took on the gargantuan task of finding justice.   The lawyer, Randy Schoenberg, grandson of the great composer, is at first reluctant, but in the end, he prevails and the “Austrian Mona Lisa” is reunited with Altmann.

Curtis’ use of flashbacks  is very effective, and provides the tone and background needed to follow the story.  In addition, the audience takes in the foreshadowing seen in an early scene at the wedding.  In the background we hear klezmer music and joyful dancing, but the Nazis are close by and the writing is on the wall.  What was the most challenging facet of making this film?  The director told me that it was “tricky to film in three countries, in three languages, and in three time periods.”

The casting of Helen Mirren and Ryan Reynolds also works well.  Mirren (Altmann) portrays an Austrian woman of strength, character and inflexible backbone.  She alternately locks horns with Schoenberg (Reynolds) and prods him to take her case. She appears unsympathetic to the demands he faces in his personal life as a young father, husband and unseasoned lawyer.  He vacillates between tolerating her rigidity and deferring to her demands.

Critics have asked why Altmann wanted the paintings sixty years later, why she had not attempted their retrieval sooner, suggesting that she was hoping for monetary gain.  The film helps us understand the legal events that made the return of the paintings possible.  The Foreign Sovereignty Act of 1976 enabled Schoenberg to bring suit against Austria. In 2004, the Supreme Court ruled that Altmann could file civil action against the Republic Austria.  This ruling provided for Klimt’s five works to be returned.

The “Woman of Gold” was purchased for $135 milllion dollars, the most ever paid for a painting, by Ronald Lauder, and currently resides in Neue Gallery in New York City, where it serves as a triumphant reminder from one of our darkest periods.  Maria Altmann said, “People forget, especially the young.”  Perhaps Simon Curtis’ film, now widely available, will not let us forget our history, and continually strive to retain our golden legacy.

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Trieger is a freelance writer specializing in coverage of the arts. You may comment to her at eva.trieger@sdjewishworld.com, or post your comment on this website provided that it is civil and you identify yourself by full name and by city and state of residence.