The story behind 'Woman in Gold'

A scene from the movie “Woman in Gold” featuring Helen Mirren as Maria Altmann / Courtesy of Able Entertainment

By Yun Suh-young

Looking at the movie poster, the first impression this film gives is that it is a story about art with a narrative of mystery, action and drama. Yes, the movie does have these features, but it turns out to be more of a courtroom drama than a sentimental art film.

"Woman in Gold" (directed by Simon Curtis) is based on the true story of Maria Altmann (played by Helen Mirren), a Viennese Jewish immigrant living in Los Angeles who fights against the Austrian government to retrieve her family's art work.

Artist Gustav Klimt's iconic 1907 painting, "Woman in Gold" or "Lady in Gold," hung at Austria’s Belvedere Gallery without the name of the subject revealed, was actually the portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer who was the aunt of Maria Altmann. Adele Bloch-Bauer and her husband were wealthy industrialists who sponsored and supported Gustav Klimt. The painting was confiscated by the Nazis prior to World War II.

At her sister's funeral, Altmann discovers letters dating back to the 1940s revealing an attempt to recover the artworks stolen by the Nazis. Among them is the iconic painting of her aunt, "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I" known in Austria as the "Woman in Gold."

Altmann embarks on a journey to reclaim her family heirloom with the help of a novice lawyer and family friend Randy Schoenberg (played by Ryan Reynolds) who also has roots in Austria.

The battle to regain the painting, which stretches over many years, takes them all the way to Vienna to the art restitution board. When the attempt there fails, Altmann, Schoenberg and Austrian journalist Hubertus Czernin find a loophole together in the art restitution law and file a suit at a U.S. court against the Austrian government. The case goes all the way up to the Supreme Court of the United States where the court rules in favor of Altmann. This is the historical case of the Republic of Austria v. Altmann (2004).

When the portrait is finally returned to Altmann, after another heartfelt speech in front of Vienna's art restitution board, she decides to sell it to Ronald Lauder, the son of Estee Lauder, to be hung at his Neue Galerie in New York City.

The movie is an engaging tale for those who ever wondered what the full story of the beautiful golden portrait by Gustav Klimt was. Flashing back and forth from past to present and vice versa, the film recounts the painful history of World War II and the plight of the Jews, as well as educating the audience in art history with numerous references to the art restitution law. If you have interest in culture and art, you'll be captivated by the story from beginning to end.

However, anyone who has zero interest in art or who distances themselves from watching legal films, the movie may drag. It is released Thursday in local theaters.