Directed by: Tom Hooper
Screenplay by: Lucinda Coxon
Based on the novel by David Ebershoff and inspired by true events
This is the story of Lili Elbe, a Danish woman who was a transgender pioneer.
Einar and Gerda Wegener (Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander respectively) are both artists in Denmark. Einar is rather successful and Gerda is working on becoming successful. Einar's works get many sales and are displayed frequently, while Gerda's works less so. At first they are a happy couple, showing each other the kind of affection that newly formed couples do. They have a great deal of lust and desire for each other when they are not painting. They begin to play a game with each other when they go out, where Einar is someone else, a young woman named Lili. This begins to pull on the marriage as he beings to truly enjoy being Lili and hates being Einar. He becomes less and less comfortable being Einar, and more comfortable being Lili. He feels that being Lili is truly who he is, and that he is not truly a man, rather a woman instead.
As Einar continues his journey to womanhood, Gerda wants her husband, not Lili. She at first feels that Lili is all in Einar's head. But eventually, she begins to accept that this is who her husband really is and that it is who he is meant to be.
The story is quite captivating, especially in this day in age because one of the biggest social issues facing us today is that of transgender rights. To some it seems a relatively new concept while to others not so much. We as a society are still figuring out how to deal with the transgender phenomenon in some ways, and it is good to see that filmmakers have opinions on the issue as well. The Danish Girl seems to shed light on what it must be like for people who are transitioning from male to female, or from female to male. This is a struggle that many people do not understand.
The story itself has some issues. There are some important plot holes that need to be addressed. It seems like Einar suddenly realizes one day that he is meant to be a woman rather than feeling doubt about his masculinity throughout much of his life. In one scene, he is modeling for Gerda who is painting a portrait of a woman wearing a dress. The model backs out one day and she still needs someone, so she has Einar fill in while simply holding the dress the model is supposed to wear. This is the scene where it seems like Einar realizes he is supposed to be a woman instead of a man, but it seems very sudden, with no indication coming beforehand.
One thing I like about this story is that it focuses on the mental and emotional transition that Einar goes through as he is becoming Lili. The audience sees the full picture, while hiding some of the physical aspects of this transition (like when the doctors are performing the surgeries on him).
Eddie Redmayne plays the part of Lili Elbe beautifully. He brings both the parts of Einar and Lili to life excellently, and the makeup department does a great job of making him look the part as well. He is as good in this film playing a transgender role as Jared Leto is in Dallas Buyers Club. Unfortunately, it seems as though the audience can still tell that it is an actor playing this part, whereas in last year's The Theory of Everything, in which he plays Stephen Hawking, it can be easy to forget that he is acting. He does not quite become Lili Elbe in the way that he became Stephen Hawking. He still delivers one of the most fantastic acting performances of the year, but lacks the spark that awarded him the Oscar for The Theory of Everything.
Alicia Vikander is a truly terrific actress, who has played a great deal of dynamic roles this year (see Ex Machina, The Man from U.N.C.L.E.). She delivers an excellent performance as Gerda, bringing to life the character who on one hand is a vibrant young woman, while still being a mature and loving wife who must deal with a situation few must go through. I would not be surprised if she is nominated for an Oscar for her role.
The production design is among the best in cinema so far in 2015. This is a film that truly can make the audience feel as if they have traveled back in time, allowing for a great immersion into the story. My biggest problem with the film is its execution. As I stated before, there are plot holes that affect the story in some key ways. This is not my favorite film directed by Tom Hooper, but I stand by what I say when I say that he is an excellent director. Overall, this is a good film, yet lacks the spark to make it an excellent one.
I give The Danish Girl a B+.
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