Music Box

Michael J. Laszlo faces war-crimes charges and a bid to revoke his US citizenship. Prosecutor Jack Burke asserts that Laszlo is Mishka, the Arrow Cross commander responsible for torturing and murdering Jews and others during the Siege of Budapest. Laszlo denies the allegations, insisting it is mistaken identity and a politically motivated frame-up.

During the hearings, survivors recount the brutal acts of Mishka's unit and point to Laszlo as their torturer. The testimony underscores a pattern of sadistic violence attributed to Mishka. An Arrow Cross ID card bearing Laszlo’s photo surfaces as part of the case's damning evidence.

Laszlo alleges that the charges stem from a frame-up by Hungary's postwar Communist government and its secret police, the ÁVO. He suggests political retaliation connected to his earlier protest against a US tour by a Hungarian dance troupe. The defense works to undermine the credibility of witnesses.

Ann Talbot, a Chicago defense attorney, decides to take on her father’s defense. She vows to discover the truth behind the accusations and protect him from a verdict that could tear their family apart. Her personal stake drives the legal strategy from behind the courtroom podium.

Ann locates a Soviet defector who explains the KGB's program of forging documents to frame anti-Communists in the West. He describes how this tactic was shared with the secret services of the Soviet Bloc and notes that the Hungarian ÁVO showed interest in such forgery. The revelation casts doubt on the reliability of witnesses who testified against Laszlo.

Burke announces that a witness in Budapest will testify that Laszlo is Mishka. The infirm witness cannot travel, triggering the plan for cross-border testimony and raising the stakes of the case. The courtroom drama shifts toward international reach.

Ann, Burke, and Judge Silver travel to Hungary to secure the infirm witness's testimony. Laszlo refuses to travel, claiming that the Communists would assassinate him if he returns to Hungary. The international trip introduces new pressures and uncertainties.

A mysterious man claiming to be Laszlo's friend visits Ann in her Budapest hotel and leaves a folder of documents. The next day, damning affidavits appear in which three different men are identified as Mishka. The inconsistencies cast serious doubt on the prosecution’s case.

Judge Silver dismisses the prosecution’s case after the conflicting testimonies and forged documents come to light. Burke laments the missed chance to secure justice for the victims, though the emotional toll of the crimes remains undeniable. The defense seizes the moment to pivot the narrative.

Burke urges Ann to visit the Danube's bridge where Mishka executed victims, prompting a stark reflection on the war's atrocities. As the Red Army advances in Europe, the reminder of past horrors weighs heavily on Ann. The scene deepens the film’s meditation on memory and justice.

In Budapest, Magda Zoldan shows Ann Tibor's wallet and a pawn-shop ticket, urging her to retrieve Tibor's pawned item. Ann notices a photo of Tibor with a scar on his face, realizing he was Mishka’s Arrow Cross partner in the atrocities. The revelation links Tibor to the past in a new, chilling way.

Back in Chicago, Ann redeems Tibor's music box from a pawn shop. When it is played, old photographs emerge, showing Laszlo torturing and murdering Jews as Mishka. The visual evidence indicts Laszlo beyond any remaining doubt.

In a devastating confrontation, Ann tells her father she never wants herself or her son Mikey to see him again. Laszlo insists Mikey will not believe her and goes outside to play with his grandson. The personal toll of the revelation is laid bare.

Ann composes a letter to Burke and encloses Tibor's photographs and the negatives, preserving the testimony for history rather than for a courtroom. The case’s moral stakes linger as the victims’ memories endure. The news echoes of Laszlo's alleged war crimes begin to appear in the media.

In the closing minutes, Ann speaks with her young son Mikey about his grandfather's dark legacy. The film ends with a fraught but necessary reckoning with memory, guilt, and the cost of justice. Mikey’s future remains uncertain, weighed against the past.