The idea of being transgender is not a
new one, but with all the sudden coverage in the news it can be hard
to realise that. The Danish Girl, directed by Tom Hooper, is a
topical film not only because of its relevance to today’s society,
but also because it highlights a gender-based struggle in an time we
wouldn’t usually think about.
Set in 1926, popular artist Einar
Wegener (Eddie Redmayne) is married to his less successful artistic
wife, Gerda Wegener (Alicia Vikander). One day he finds himself
having to model women’s clothing for her as her usual model is
running late, and it’s from this moment forward that Einar truly
starts to think about who he is. As a sort of joke he adopts the
persona of Lili Elbe, although gradually this persona becomes
entwined with his life and he realises that he is not Einar at all,
but Lili.The films then depicts the complex array of struggles that
come from Einar being transgender.
As we all know, Eddie Redmayne is
fantastic at immersing himself in his characters, and The Danish
Girl is no exception here. Watching him slowly transform from
Einar to Lili is fascinating – most actors have their hands full
with one character to deal with, but here Redmayne has too. I thought
Alicia Vikander was the star of the show here though – she has this
vibrancy about her that a lot of other actresses just don’t have.
The supporting cast were great as well, making the whole film very
believable. The camera work was absolutely
beautiful – during the intro each shot seems like a painting, and
this sublime cinematography carries on until the very end. There’s
a certain delicacy to it, which emphasises Lili’s character well.
Redmayne happens to have a very emotive face, and even the slightest
of expressions gets his emotions through to the viewer.
The film is a very emotional ride, to
say the least, and the clever writing coupled with the beautiful
classical soundtrack created some very powerful scenes. It was hard
not to become emotionally invested in both Lili’s and Gerda’s
story, and there were certain parts where it almost felt real. What
was really sad about it (apart from the obvious mental struggles and
difficult relationships) was that it included a whole variety of
different negative opinions that actually still echo today. Having
grown up with transgender friends, I found it quite hard to endure
the struggles that Lili faced, as it all just felt so unfair. Luckily
it wasn’t all drama and depression though – there were plenty of
surprisingly fun scenes (particularly during the first half) that I
wasn’t expecting to see.
Although loosely based on a true story,
it’s important to remember that The Danish Girl is based on
the book of the same name, rather than the actual story of Einar
Wegener. If you do your research you’ll find that the two stories
are actually very different, although Hooper’s stunning portrayal
does not seem to make the experience any less meaningful. There’s a
fair bit of artistic licence to be seen (mountains in Denmark, you
say?), but it really is cleverly done, and deals with a potentially
sensitive subject in a very poignant way.
I personally felt that the film did
justice to the transgender community – it didn’t feel twisted or
trivialised as some topical films come across and there was no
dehumanisation. Instead, it just demonstrated a beautiful story that
I’m sure many can relate to, and I’m glad that it’s out there
for all to see and understand.
I give The Danish Girl a 5/5.
★★★★★
Hannah Read
The Danish Girl at CeX
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