Redmayne and Vikander's performances are impeccable; both are on the Oscar nominations list in the industry -- Redmayne is on the verge of winning again last year for her role as Hawking in The Theory of Everything, and Vikander is also nominated for Best Supporting Actress. Well-respected in the list.
Even if the actors are so good, the movie itself is still a lot of regrets, and the problem appears in the script and the direction of the director. Director Tom Hooper's work always feels lacking in some deep content, and the story mostly stays on the surface. Whenever the audience has a chance to explore the inner world of the protagonist, the director throws us some distractions, such as the women's clothing of that era, the landscapes all over Europe, the artists' bohemian life style, and society's treatment of trans people. prejudice, etc.
Redmayne's interpretation of Einar is nuanced; his every little movement, every tremor is awe-inspiring. At the beginning of the story, he secretly stroked his wife's silk pajamas, fearing and yearning for his true self. When he was so desperate that he stripped off his male clothes rudely and put on female clothes, his sense of belonging was so vivid. It is a pity that such private and delicate fragments become less and less as the story develops. The director wasted a lot of time describing one doctor after another who treated Einar as a schizophrenic because he couldn't understand his condition.
Einar has not seen enough, the director has turned the focus to Gerda. Gerda has always been Einar/Lili's strongest backer and supporter. In a way, Gerda knows Lili best; her portraits inspired by Lili are among her most popular. Gerda is also a lonely soul with an unstoppable inner torment. There is a scene in the movie where Gerda ran out of his art exhibition, it was raining outside without an umbrella, and he was sitting on a chair and crying. Even though she knew the Einar she knew would never come back, she insisted that it was her husband and her love for him would never change. Gerda's feelings for Einar and even Lili are touching. How I wish to see more of Gerda's inner world after Einar's transition. Sadly, that's the kind of detail that's missing in the second half of the movie.
The title of the film, "The Danish Girl", stands for Lili and Gerda (there are comments that Vikander should have been nominated for an Oscar instead of Best Supporting Actress). It's a pity that the film's description of both characters is a bit hasty. Even though it was easy for the audience to get involved in the story at the beginning, there was some regret in the second half, so much so that by the end, I didn't have much emotion left. Whether it's the screenwriter's lack of a detailed description, or the director's inability to put the connotation on the screen, at least the two leading actors are excellent.
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“The Danish Girl” is loosely based on the real story of Einar Wegener/Lili Elbe (Eddie Redmayne) and his wife, Gerda Wegener (Alicia Vikander), both of whom were well-known painters in 1920's Europe. The film explores Einar/ Lili's transforming journey, physically and emotionally, as a transgender woman and one of the first known recipients of the sex reassignment surgery. More importantly, Tom Hooper's biographical drama finds its foundation in Einar/Lili and Gerda's evolving but ever-loving relationship, as the title is seen to refer to both Lili and Gerda.
I have no reservations about Redmayne and Vikander's performances, as the Academy obviously agrees with nominating both in the acting category --- Redmayne for Best Actor (following his win last year for the portrayal of Stephen Hawking in “The Theory of Everything”) and Vikander for Best Supporting Actress.
The root of the film's disappointment is its screenplay and execution by the director. Hooper's project never reaches a profound level as he intends it to be. Every chance we are given to dig deeper into the titular characters' inner struggle , Hooper distracts us with the flourish appearances of - women's fashion, the scenes, the bohemian lifestyle, and social challenges.
As Einar, Redmayne's every tremble, every touch is heartbreaking. Early in the film, we catch a glimpse of him caressing Gerda's silk undergarment --- his yearning to be a woman so strong that it both frightens and excites him. In his desperation to escape a facade that the world seemingly accepts, Einar strips himself bare, almost too forcefully, and pulls on women's costumes. Such intimate moments become increasingly rare on Einar's path to become Lili. Instead, Hooper wastes so much screen time on a bunch of doctors and their inability to comprehend Einar's condition and the subsequent treatment of him as an insane person.
At some point, Hooper shifts his focus to Gerda. She is the steadfast presence and constant support for Einar and Lili. Gerda may be the only one who truly understands Lili, which Lili vocalizes in her final moments, and the world acknowledges (albeit indirectly ) in its appreciation of Gerda's famous portrait paintings of Lili. But Gerda is a lonely soul too, and Vikander's depiction of her inner turmoil gets it right. One particular scene brings to mind --- walking out of her own gallery, Gerda refuses an umbrella and cries alone on a street bench, drenched in the rain. The Einar she knows is never coming back, but she never strays from her responsibility, as she insists that “Einar is still my husband.” I wish I could have seen more of Gerda's actions and reactions when Einar is completely replaced by Lili.I loved Gerda and Einar's affectionate moments early in their marriage, but the intimacy is never realized in the latter part of the film.
Referring to both Lili and Gerda as the Danish girl, Hooper may have tried to explore both characters equally, but what we saw was a half-hearted attempt at each. As a spectator, it was easy to get immersed in the story early on. Had the film been fleshed out more, I have no doubt that Redmayne and Vikander could have carried the characters to a satisfying end. Whatever the ineptitude was, the film could not sustain a depth that it falsely led us to believe.
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