Film review: Woman in Gold (8 out of 10)

Helen Mirren and Ryan Reynolds in Woman in Gold

There have been various films dealing with aspects of the Holocaust and considering the millions murdered during this terrible time there are, no doubt, a great many more stories to tell.

Woman in Gold at its most basic level is based on the true story of one woman’s attempt to retrieve a painting of her aunt, a work of art that was stolen by the Nazis which ended up in an Austrian museum.

It is a powerful story on that level, but is really about the emotional turmoil and horror of the persecution of the Jewish population in Austria at the start of World War II.

The film begins as Maria Altmann, born in Austria but now living in the USA, is at the funeral of her sister in the 1990s. Maria discovers letters in her late sister’s possessions relating to the Woman in Gold painting by Gustav Klimt.

This sets her on a journey to reclaim the famous work of art with the help of a friend’s son, who is a lawyer, struggling with his confidence.

We then follow their voyage as they encounter all manner of legal obstacles in their endeavour.

However, we are also given flashbacks of the distressing times as Maria and her family witness the Germans invade Austria and begin their purge of the Jewish population.