The Danish Girl, Tom Hooper's latest exploit, tells the tale of Lili Elbe, one of the first known recipients of gender reassignment surgery, and her wife, Gerda Wegener. While based on the lives of two very real women, The Danish Girl sacrifices actual truth for drama, and while Hooper presents us with an absolutely stunning film, filled with colourful and lavish characters, it ultimately fails to live up to the hype.
The cinematography, performances and soundtrack are what truly stand out in Hooper's biopic. Each scene appears meticulously crafted and every shot is unique. Many promotions for The Danish Girl describe each shot as "a painting" and I really think that this is an accurate statement. Characters are often shot obscured by various other objects, be it windows, veils or tutus, which adds a unique feel to the cinematography. The performances are unreal, which is to be expected from a film starring last year's Oscar winner and a rising star. Both Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander shine in their roles, with Vikander's performance being especially stand-out, and the soundtrack beautifully complements the world and the story of the film.
The story itself is the one aspect of the film which I take issue with. I felt that it began strong, establishing the characters, their quirks and the relationship between Gerda and Einar. However, I think that the transition from Einar to Lili was handled badly. There are times within the film that Lili is depicted as more mentally unstable rather than someone with genuine issue regarding her gender and body, and thus becomes a very unlikable character. So much so that I find myself rooting for Gerda more than I root for her. The climax and ending is also very rushed, and the story almost falls apart towards the end. Following reading up on the lives of Lili Elbe and Gerda Wegner, I was also disappointed to learn of how various aspects of their story was dramatized and exaggerated.
All in all, The Danish Girl was good enough, albeit slightly disappointing. For something that is surrounded by so much Oscar hype I certainly expected more. It's a beautiful film, but at the end of the day, the story does not live up to what it is advertised to be.
