MUSIC BOX

US, 1989, 123 minutes, Colour.
Jessica Lange, Armin Mueller- Stahl, Fredric Forrest, Donald Moffatt, Lukas Haas.
Directed by Costa Gavras.

Music Box is about World War Two war crime trials, held over 40 years after the events. (The Australian film, Father, directed by John Power, had a similar plot, though it was restricted to episodes in the Ukraine and a migrant, played by Max von Sydow, living in Australia.)

The many years Costa- Gavras has made political thrillers, generally from a Left perspective. They range from the Oscar-winning Z in the late '60s to Missing. Prior to Music Box, he showed interest in the United States, especially in the controversial Betrayed (with the FBI and violent white racist groups). This time he focuses on the memories of war crimes, specifically Hungary during the Nazi occupation.

The focus of the film is on Oscar-nominated Jessica Lange as a lawyer defending her father (Armand Muehler- Stahl) against charges of war atrocities. The screenplay by Joe Eszterhas (Betrayed, Jagged Edge) keeps us guessing about his guilt or innocence. The film is a political drama, a legal drama and a human drama, showing the effects of such accusations and proceedings on a family. The years have passed since the events, but the theme is still relevant, focusing on values and justice. It makes for absorbing drama.

1.Memories of World War Two, war crimes? Justice? The repercussions of the crimes on the victims and their families, the guilty? The focus of war crimes on a particular individual? The response of society?

2.The work of Costa-Gavras?, his political perspectives over the decades? A political perspective on the war, the Nazis, the Hungarians, the communists, the Americans?

3.The Chicago settings: ordinary suburbs, work offices, the law courts, affluent society? The use of Hungarian locations? The musical score? The strong cast?

4.The title, audience expectations, tone? The device of the music box - and its dramatic impact?

5.Michael Laszlo in himself, type, personality, 37 years in the United States, the background to his migration, lying about his being a farmer, the truth about his being in the police, his wife, bringing up his children, a devoted family man? Devoted grandfather? Affectionate? The domestic sequences? The contrast with the video on his anti-communist stances against the Hungarian visitors? The demonstration and his fierceness? His strong-minded philosophy, exercise, his push-ups, his strong body and strong mind? Working in the mills and his American life?

6.Jessica Lange as Anne: the competent lawyer, seeing her at work, her legal skills, her relationship with her father and her love for him, her love for her son, the relationship with her ex-husband, with her father-in-law? The Hungarian traditions?

7.The family and its relationships, seeing them all together at the Hungarian party, the dance, the brother - and his being spoken ill of, revealing that he was the brother? A sense of the family?

8.The information about the war crimes, the warrant, the role of television, the demonstrators in the streets, the placards, stones through the windows? Laszlo and his denials? Anne and the response to her father, his honesty, asking her to be his lawyer, the dilemmas for her, her decisions? Listening to Mikey and her father talking? (And the later concern about the denial of the holocaust - as spoken by Harry?)

9.Jack Burke as a lawyer, an investigator? His history, the accident and his drinking (and Anne using it against him in the restaurant)? Strong, hostile towards Laszlo, the attack, the documents, the work of the State Department? The background of documents from Hungary? Talking with Anne, offering deals, the meal and her upsetting him?

10.The court, the questions about the judge, his Jewish background and fairness? Preparation of the briefs? Anne reading the documentation and being upset? With Georgina, at work? The preparation for the trial, not wanting Mikey present? The help from her ex-husband, from Harry?

11.The witnesses: the documents, forgeries, the experts and the way that each lawyer interrogated them? The photos and the enlargement? The witnesses and the translation? The memories? The tragic descriptions of the atrocities? Children being shot? The breaking up of families? The glee of Misha? The identification of Misha and his scarred assistant? The woman with her story of the bayonets - and the echoes of Laslo's behaviour? Wanting gold? The woman survivor and her memories? The dignity of the sufferers? The burdens of four decades? Their personalities?

12.The cross-examination, the memories, Anne and her being able to get information about the visitors from Hungary? Quoting what they spoke about, whether they spoke together, lies about requests? Giving evidence as regards the reliability of the witnesses? Their outbursts? Being vindicated? Her father's outburst and innocence? Getting Harry's help, the Soviet defector - and his explanation of the whole plan for forgeries to frame victims?

13.Anne's father and his composure during the trial, his relationship with the family, his outburst in the court, proclaiming his innocence, going to hospital?

14.The transfer of the trial to Hungary, Anne and the visit, the impressions of Hungary? The interrogation of the sick patient, reliability or not? The judge and Jack and their presence? Anne in the hotel, the documents given to her? Winning the case? Georgina giving her the information at the airport, the decision to visit her father's friend's sister, their talk, the pawn ticket? The impact of going back to Hungary and meeting the people? The knowledge about the brother and the operation for the scar? Her father's financial situation and the payment of moneys?

15.Her return, redeeming the music box, the discovery of the photos? The emotional impact? Conscience? The crisis?

16.Her decision, sending the photos to Jack, the newspapers with the headlines in contrast to the victory?

17.Going back to her father, watching Harry and his speech about the vindication? Looking at Mikey and his riding the horse? Her reaction? Her speaking plainly to her father? The decision never to see him again? Seeing her explain the situation to Mikey?

18.Audience response to war crimes, the pros and cons of having trials so long after the event? Justice to be done and seen to be done? The impact on the victims? On the perpetrators? On the families of the perpetrators?