The Danish Girl – Transformative (Recommendation)

Year: 2015

Director: Tom Hooper

Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Alicia Vikander, Amber Heard, Matthias Schoenaerts, Ben Whishaw, Sebastian Koch, Rebecca Root, Pip Torrens, Henry Pettigrew

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d88APYIGkjk

 

 

The Oxford Dictionary describes the word transformative as “Causing a marked change in someone or something”, meaning that is can be applied to a multitude of situations. Today’s film was created so expressively that it can only be described as art. Each shot is able to evoke an instinctive response, leaving us in awe of its cinematic beauty.

 

The Danish Girl is based around the real life of painter Einar Wegener (Eddie Redmayne), and starts in Copenhagen in the 1920’s. After dressing in stockings and a dress to model for his artist wife Gerda (Alicia Vikander), Einar starts to admit to a part of himself that he had kept hidden. Through this period of self-acceptance, Gerda learns to understand and help Einar to become Lili, one of the first to receive a sex-change operation. Fundamentally,

 

In the 1920’s the concept of someone being transgender was relatively unheard of, and often diagnosed as insanity or a hormonal imbalance. As Einar starts to explore himself, we see that each time he wears the wig, dress, and makeup, he doesn’t play a character but liberates himself from the shackles of his birth gender and becomes the person within, Lili. When she learns about gender reassignment surgery there is a visceral response and she becomes overwhelmed with emotion, as these operations are the physical representation of her transformation into her true self.

 

Additionally, The Danish Girl allows for a comparison between Einar and Lili. This this we are able to visibly see the emotional toll living as Einar had on Lili, as one she became open and honest with herself and others, her outlook changed. Lili wanted to marry and have a child of her own, whereas it was never a priority for Einar; Lili enjoyed to socialise, while Einar was recluse and shy; Lili was content in working in retail, though Einar was a renowned and respected artist. As you can see, the physical transformation allowed for Lili’s psychological and emotional development, as she found her true voice, which differed from that of the repressed Einar.

 

On a larger scale, Lili is an iconic figure that represents a global realisation, that gender couldn’t simply be categorised into male and female; because of Lili medical professionals broadened their practices and views, so that we would no longer misdiagnose those within the transgender community. Although Lili’s life was cut short, her experience and memory pioneered reassignment surgery, which has since helped millions become their true genders.

 

Fundamentally, The Danish Girl is about one person’s journey of self-acceptance. However, it promotes a universal message of becoming our authentic selves, no matter what obstacles stand in our way.