The Danish Girl (2015),
directed by Tom Hooper, is based on a novel of the same name written by David
Ebershoff in 2000, about the real life Lili Elbe who was one of the first
transgender women to undergo sex reassignment surgery. The film begins by following the day to day
lives of husband and wife artists, Einar and Gerda Wegener (Eddie Redmayne and
Alicia Vikander) who live and work in 1920s Paris. Einar is a famous landscape artist while
Gerda struggles to sell her portraits and fashion drawings. When one of Gerda’s models runs late, she
enlists Einar’s help by having him don stockings, ballet slippers, and a dress so
she can start working on the bottom half of her painting. This ignites something in Einar and he starts
to explore his femininity even more.
Gerda encourages Einar’s gender-bending by giving him dresses to wear and
by helping him do his hair and makeup.
The two even parade around town together with Einar passing as “Lili”
and pretending to be a cousin from abroad.
Gerda does not seem bothered by Einar’s transition into
Lili until she realizes that Einar has no intention of resurfacing. Gerda then takes Einar/Lili to see several
different psychologists who perform strange tests to try to cure her. When Einar’s desire to live as Lili persists,
psychologists label her as insane.
Seeing the treatment that Einar/Lili receives by the medical profession,
Gerda then realizes she loves and cares for Einar/Lili no matter what. Gerda begins to support Einar’s desire to
live out her daily life as Lili. Lili
quits painting and begins passing in the world around her as a woman. She takes a job in a boutique and attempts to
learn the ins and outs of womanhood.
Gerda and Lili continue to live together as companions and friends, and
Gerda remains a constant in Lili’s life.
When Lili hears of a doctor in Germany who performs sex
reassignment surgeries, she jumps at the opportunity to complete her transition. She makes the trek with Gerda by her side and
begins a series of complicated and dangerous surgeries to remove her male genitalia
and transplant a uterus and ovaries.
Gerda is apprehensive and unsupportive at first due to the dangerous
nature of the surgeries, but she comes around when she realizes how much it
means to Lili to be able to live fully as a woman. Unfortunately, Lili ends up dying of
complications from one of her surgeries, leaving Gerda devastated.
The story of the transformation of Einar Wegener into
Lili Elbe as told through the film is a story of love and acceptance through
all of life’s trials. The acting by both
Eddie Redmayne (Einar/Lili) and Alicia Vikander (Gerda) brings this story to
life. Both actors are so successful at conveying
the emotions of their characters that viewers are able to empathize with both
Einar/Lili and Gerda. We are able to
feel Einar’s disgust at his male body, his longing and desire to be Lili, and
the happiness he exudes when he is able to live as a woman. At the same time, we experience Gerda’s pain
at the loss of her husband, her frustration as she tries to protect Lili from
an unforgiving society, and connection as she supports Lili through her
transition despite it all. The
relationship between Einar/Lili and Gerda as portrayed by Redmayne and Vikander
feels like a love poem that transcends all boundaries and is limitless.
In addition to the extraordinary acting, the film’s use
of color and lighting adds another element to Lili’s story. The film’s opening scenes are shots of
rolling hills covered in fog and trees that are bare. It is reminiscent of a stark winter scene waiting
for spring to come for a chance to bloom.
There is a grey tone to the entire first half of the film where Einar is
still living live as a man, alluding to a sense of unhappiness and gloom. There is little sunlight, a lot of fog, and
gray/blue hues to the scenes. However,
as soon as Einar transitions to living life as Lili, a vibrancy emerges to the
scenery and costumes that matches the happiness that Lili herself exudes. The sun shines through the windows into Gerda
and Lili’s home, Lili herself seems to glow, and Lili’s pastel colored wardrobe
offers a warm softness to the film’s later scenes. This change in lighting and color add to the
sense of comfort felt with Lili finally being at peace with herself.
The Danish Girl successfully brings the story of
Lili Elbe to life in a way that captures viewers’ attention and hearts. We are transported to another time and place to
experience the story of one transgender woman during a time period when society
was even less accepting and forgiving than modern times. Even those who cannot relate to Lili’s gender
identity struggles are quickly drawn into the story of Lili and Gerda’s unique
relationship and the connection that transcends gender. With the support and acceptance of Gerda,
Lili is able to fulfill her deepest desire to be who she was always meant to be.
No comments:
Post a Comment