The Danish Girl
The Danish Girl

Movie spotlight

The Danish Girl

2015
Movie
119 min
English

When Gerda Wegener asks her husband Einar to fill in as a portrait model, Einar discovers the person she's meant to be and begins living her life as Lili Elbe. Having realized her true self and with Gerda's love and support, Lili embarks on a groundbreaking journey as a transgender pioneer.

Insights

IMDb7.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes69%
Metacritic66/100
Google Users74%
Director: Tom HooperGenres: Biography, Drama, Romance

Plot Summary

In 1920s Copenhagen, Lili Elbe becomes one of the first recipients of sex reassignment surgery after her marriage to Gerda Wegener is tested by Lili's true nature. As Lili navigates her identity and transition, Gerda grapples with the changes in their relationship and her own feelings. The film follows their journey through love, acceptance, and the struggle for self-discovery in a time when such transformations were profoundly misunderstood.

Critical Reception

The Danish Girl received a mixed to positive reception from critics. While the film was widely praised for its stunning visuals, evocative score, and particularly for the performances of Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander, some critics found the narrative to be overly sanitized and lacking in the full complexity of the true story. Audience reception was generally positive, appreciating the emotional depth and historical significance of the portrayal.

What Reviewers Say

  • Visually stunning with powerful lead performances, particularly from Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander.

  • Praised for its sensitive portrayal of gender transition and its exploration of love and identity.

  • Criticized by some for historical inaccuracies and a perceived lack of depth in its narrative.

Google audience: Google users largely appreciated 'The Danish Girl' for its emotional depth and the compelling performances, especially highlighting Eddie Redmayne's portrayal. The film's visual beauty and its exploration of complex themes like identity and love resonated well with audiences.

Awards & Accolades

Alicia Vikander won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Gerda Wegener. Eddie Redmayne was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor. The film also received nominations for Best Costume Design and Best Production Design at the Oscars.

Fun Fact

Eddie Redmayne's portrayal of Lili Elbe marked the second time he played a transgender character, having previously played a transgender artist in the 2015 film 'The Danish Girl' and a trans woman in 'Danish Girl'.

AI-generated overview · Verify ratings on official sources

My Review

TMDB Reviews

3 reviews
Filipe Manuel Neto

Filipe Manuel Ne...

**Highly militant, a more neutral film would have been better.** This is a difficult film to comment on. On the one hand, and speaking exclusively from a technical point of view, it is a really good and well-made film. On the other hand,...

SodaCreekFilm

SodaCreekFilm

"You helped bring Lili to life, but she was always there." _The Danish Girl_ certainly took a long time getting to the big screen. The script went through dozens of iterations after David Ebershoff’s book was first was optioned. The cast...

Reno

Reno

> An important biopic, but not inspiring. Before this film hitting the screens, I remember many experts were expecting it doing well at the Oscars. Now it's got 4 Oscar nods, even though it is very sad the movie is a hit and miss. A slip...