"Music Box" poses an interesting dilemma: If your parent was guilty of a horrific crime, will you do everything to defend that parent? Ann Talbot (Jessica Lange) faces this problem when her father Michael Lazlo (Armin Mueller-Stahl)is being charged with war crimes during World War II in Hungary. Despite pleas from her co-workers, friends and even the prosecuting attorney (Frederic Forrest), Ann pushes on to defend her father. But as the trial progresses and the witnesses testify, Ann begins to have serious doubts as to her father's doubts.
The most heartbreaking scene is when Ann finds out just how horrible her father truly is. When she retrieves a music box that was left in a pawn shop by a now deceased friend, she finds the proof of her father's guilt. The look on Ann's face says it all: her father had betrayed her and that he is truly a monster.
Costa-Gavras's direction and the screenplay by Joe Eszterhas is wonderful (The ultimate irony being that what happened to Ann would soon happen to Eszterhas, when he found out after the film's release that his own father was accused of war crimes). However, the brilliant work of Lange and Mueller-Stahl is excellent. The viewer is Ann, wanting to believe the innocent of her father, but are incredibly hurt when you find out the truth.
The most heartbreaking scene is when Ann finds out just how horrible her father truly is. When she retrieves a music box that was left in a pawn shop by a now deceased friend, she finds the proof of her father's guilt. The look on Ann's face says it all: her father had betrayed her and that he is truly a monster.
Costa-Gavras's direction and the screenplay by Joe Eszterhas is wonderful (The ultimate irony being that what happened to Ann would soon happen to Eszterhas, when he found out after the film's release that his own father was accused of war crimes). However, the brilliant work of Lange and Mueller-Stahl is excellent. The viewer is Ann, wanting to believe the innocent of her father, but are incredibly hurt when you find out the truth.