Review of Woman in Gold, directed by Simon Curtis

There was a bit of a phase beginning in the Summer 2023 with my watching and reading habits. There was a chunk of time where I was pretty much binge watching and reading books on World War II and its immediate impacts, not just from the European angle.

I then took an entire independent study course I designed during my master’s degree on Korean women’s literature during the colonial period, which led me to become deeper involved in the consequences of World War II on the Korean perspective for my master’s thesis.

Anyways, I had never heard of The Woman in Gold as a movie until suddenly I was pressing play after endlessly scrolling on Netflix. I knew of the painting, as I had encountered whispers of it before, but there was no way I had encountered the incredible story behind the painting until I had watched this movie.

While the movie leans really dry, and I found it painful to get through, I thought learning about this story was absolutely necessary.

Let’s get into the review before I spill too many of my thoughts in just the intro!

The story of the painting “Woman in Gold” and the path towards restitution.

This is a story that dangles between the past and present, as we go back into the past whenever one of the main characters, Maria Altmann, begins to recall her time growing up in Austria as a young affluent Jewish woman.

She lived in Vienna during the rise of the Nazi rule in Austria, and witnessed how the Jewish community there was under increasing persecution, leading up to the fact that their homes and belongings were taken away from them.

We know what happens next historically, but while Maria and her husband were able to get out in a dramatic fashion, her parents were left behind.

In the late nineties, Maria lived in Los Angeles and her sister has just died. When she realizes her sister’s letters contain information about their family’s painting, especially one of her aunt Adele titled “Woman in Gold,” there’s a revelation that the state of Austria now owns the painting.

Maria decides to get her friend’s son, E. Randol Schoenberg, to become her lawyer in the attempt to get back the art. They go back to Austria, where they learn the government is unwilling to give the painting to her.

This painting has become a part of Austrian national identity, making this a lot more tricky than it is on paper.

They claim the painting was bequeathed to the gallery by her aunt, but with the help of a local journalist, Maria and Randol realize that this is wrong.

Her uncle was the legal owner of the painting, and while he aunt wanted it to go to the gallery, the Nazis had taken it from her uncle and put it in the museum.

The lawyer puts in a claim to the court, challenging them with this new evidence, and the two return to the united States defeated.

But that’s not the end. Randol has a moment when he’s in a bookstore, as he sees a book with the painting depicted on it. He realizes this is a framework he can use, as profit is being made with the painting’s image.

So then he puts in another claim in the US courts, it goes all the way to the Supreme Court, and they rule in Maria’s favor. Maria and Randol have a big fight, and she refuses to go to Austria. He heads off alone there, but she joins him in the middle of the argument.

Eventually, after Randol argues his case, the panel decides to give the painting back to Maria.

The Austrian government begs Maria to keep the painting there, but she declines, and takes the painting back to the US with her. She then agrees with Ronald Lauder to let him display the painting in the Neue Gallerie in New York City, where it still lives to this day.

Overall Thoughts

Like I said, I thought this was an important movie to watch, and I now want to go to the gallery the next time I’m in the city and see the painting for myself.

That said, I think this wasn’t the greatest movie to watch unless you’re extremely invested in the story. It was very stiff and lacked any real dramatic action, which made it more difficult to get through.

The legal jargon and scenes bored me more, but I thought learning more about Maria and her life, especially during the Austria bits, was much more interesting. I would’ve preferred a biopic personally.

Now, taste is subjective, so if you loved this movie, I’m happy for you! It wasn’t my cup of tea though.

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