On the surface Tom Hooper’s (Les Misérables, The Kings Speech) The Danish Girl is the typical winter-release Oscar fodder that’s expected to sweep the floor come awards season. However, there is more to this film than the controversy of Eddie Redmayne’s casting and the stunning costumes.
Set in Denmark, Eddie Redmayne (Theory of Everything, Les Misérables) plays Einar Wegener a landscape artist who, one day, is painted by his wife, Gerda played by Alicia Vikander (Man from U.N.C.L.E, Ex Machina), as a woman. So the the story begins of Einar’s transformation from Einar to Lili. This is not Einar’s story, however: this is the story of Gerda, and its told through her eyes – the woman who supported and cared for both Einar and Lili. Vikander portrays the confusion and raw emotion of anyone who’s had a loved one go through a similar experience.
Redmayne, obviously aware of the controversy as a cis actor in a trans role, plays the part beautifully. There are overwhelming amounts of sincerity and sensitivity in his acting. There was a believability to his character, too: as the film progressed the nuances carried over from Einar to Lili became more apparent, even down to the slightest positioning of his hands. Tears were brought to my eyes time and time again, and Redmayne succeeds in making us feel his character’s pain and suffering in ways that would be in vain without his sheer conviction.
The supporting cast perform beautifully as well, portraying a European artistic scene in the early 20th century that was more open-minded than the rest of society. Amber Heard plays the exuberant ballerina and supportive friend, Ulla, to Gerda and Lili. Matthias Schoenaerts, who is starting to make a name for himself in films such as The Drop and Far From The Madding Crowd, plays Hans Axil, an art dealer and old friend of Einar. 007’s Q, Ben Whishaw, also makes an appearance as the questionable Henrik, who acts as a window into the more dubious side of society’s view on the LGBTQ community.
Danny Cohen’s cinematography is beautiful throughout, Denmark shot in blues and greys, contrasting with a Paris bustling with life and colour. The costumes by Paco Delgado are genuinely stunning. The hair and makeup teams deserve every accolade they get, too, turning the boyish yet feminine Redmayne into the beautiful Lili. Their work is aided by wigs from Alex Rouse which are brought to attention wonderfully in one scene near the start of the film.
Naturally, the film is not without its faults. It is based on the book about their lives, rather than their lives themselves, so some details about Gerda, Einar, and Lili are missing, such as Gerda’s sexuality and the erotic nature of her work. Many things are glossed over, as Hollywood does. It may have been nice to see some actual Danish actors, too.
Nicole Stewart Rushworth
Image courtesy of Universal Pictures International/Focus Features