1. Where do Maria Altmann’s family come from and what is their religion?
PART ONE
What is Woman in Gold?
What is Randy Schoenberg’s profession and why did he visit the offices of Bergen Brown Sherman?
Where do Maria Altmann’s family come from and what is their religion?
What are a “restitution law” and a “restitution lawyer”?
Who served as a model for Gustav Klimt’s Woman in Gold?
Why did Maria think that Randy was particularly suited to help her?
What does the figure of 100,000,000 $ apply to?
Why was Maria initially reluctant to travel to Austria and why did she subsequently change her mind?
Who is Czernin and what is his motivation to help Marie and Randy?

2. What was the location of Woman in Gold in Vienna in 1992?
PART ONE
What was the location of Woman in Gold in Vienna in 1992?
How did the burghers of Vienna react to the arrival of the Nazi troops in the 1940s and how does this explain Maria’s hatred of the Austrian people and her refusal to use the German language?
What argument did the Nazi officer use to put the Bloch-Bauers under house arrest and confiscate their works of art?

3. What did Maria and Randy look for in the archive?
PART TWO
What did Maria and Randy look for in the archive?
What did Maria’s aunt Adele say in her will about the Woman in Gold?
What proof was there that Maria’s uncle Ferdinand was the rightful owner of Woman in Gold?
What motivated the Austrian Ministry of Culture to set up a Restitution Committee?
How did Maria and her husband trick the Nazi officer who was guarding their apartment?
How does the film show that not all Austrians were pro-Nazi?
How did Maria manage to convince the customs officer that she and her husband were legally leaving Vienna for Cologne?
What decision did the committee reach regarding Woman in Gold?

4. What did Randy tell his wife about his motivation to help Maria?
PART TWO
What monument did Maria and Randy visit before returning back to Los Angeles?
What did Randy tell his wife about his motivation to help Maria?
How does the film show that the average American knows next to nothing outside the US?
Why did Randy decide to take the Austrian government to court?
Why was Randy’s wife angry with him?
What decision did the bailiff take?

5. Why did Maria and Randy travel to Washington?
PART THREE
Why did Maria and Randy travel to Washington?
What joke did Mr Chief Justice make during Randy’s speech?
How long does it take the Supreme Court to reach a verdict?
What happened in Randy’s family while he was in Washington?
What was the Supreme Court’s verdict?
What did Maria and Randy argue about?
Why did Maria refuse to pursue the Arbitration in Vienna and why did she end up travelling to Vienna nevertheless?
What was the Arbitration panel’s final decision?
Why was Maria unhappy despite the Arbitration panel’s decision in her favour?
What were Maria’s father’s parting words before she left fo the United States?

6. Helen Mirren as Maria Altmann
Helen Mirren as Maria Altmann Ryan Reynolds as Randol (Randy) Schoenberg Daniel Brühl as Hubertus Czernin

7. In a series of flashbacks, Maria Altmann recalls the arrival of Nazi forces in Vienna, and the subsequent suppression of the Jewish community and the stealing of works of art conducted by the Nazis against Jewish families. Maria manages to flee to the United States with her husband but she is forced to abandon her parents in Vienna. In 1992 Marie enlists the help of Randy Schoenberg to make a claim to the art restitution board in Austria for the painting Woman in Gold by Gustav Klimt portraying her Aunt Adele. Reluctantly returning to her homeland, Marie discovers the Austrian authorities are unwilling to part with the painting. With the help of Austrian journalist Hubertus Czernin, Randy discovers that Adele’s will is invalid because it was bought by Marie’s uncle.

8. Randy files a challenge with the art restitution board, but it is denied and Marie does not have the money needed to challenge the board’s decision. Months thereafter, Randy files a claim in US court against the Austrian government. An appeal goes to the Supreme Court which rules in Marie’s favor. Randy and Marie return to Vienna and after considering both sides of the dispute, the arbitration panel rules in favour of Marie, returning her paintings. Finally Marie takes up an offer made earlier by Ronald Lauder to acquire them for his New York gallery to display the painting on condition that it be a permanent exhibit.