The Danish Girl (2015)

** out of ****

Who would have thought that a movie that had the stunning Alicia Vikkander stark naked would be a film that I really don't much care to ever see again....

Vikkander is Gerda Wegener, a promising Danish artist who has never realized her potential. She is married to Einar (Eddie Redmayne), a moderately successful painter himself, and they are passionately in love. But then one day Gerda asks Einar to wear womens stockings and shoes to help her finish a portrait and things change. Einar is clearly excited and fascinated by seeing himself in the clothes, and when Gerda realizes this, she encourages him to explore it. Clearly, she thinks this will be a fun role-playing game that will enhance their already active sex life.

But for Einar it is something more. The era is the late 1920s and “transgender” wasn't even in the national vocabulary. His behavior is seen as a sickness and several doctors try to “cure” him through such progressive ideas as radiation treatment. But Einar is losing his old identity to his new one (a female persona he calls “Lily”) but he is sure it is not schizophrenia, rather a realization of his true self.

Meanwhile, Gerda is becoming more and more successful for her emotional portraits of "Lily" leading her to great confusion about the benefits and drawbacks of Einar's confusion.

The movie explores the evolution of Einar's transsexuality and his relationship with his wife. Eddie Redmayne is fully committed to the part, being completely authentic in a challenging role. Vikkander is every bit as good in a different type of role, as a more traditionally tormented woman. But despite the quality of their performances, I simply didn't like much of the way the film portrayed their stories.

Obviously, this isn't subject matter that most people are comfortable with in real life. Personally I consider myself extremely liberal in each individual's right to self actualization and rights to equal treatment..... but that doesn't mean I really want to see everything about it. Redmayne staring at his naked body in a mirror and tucking his genitals between his legs to appear female is just not something I have any need to see. It just felt it wasn't essential to the story. Conversely, when Ted Levine did exactly the same thing in “The Silence of the Lambs” (1990) it WAS essential to the story and therefore less disquieting. Here, I simply found it exploitative.

As Lily explores her new persona it leads to some other awkward scenes that I just didn't find to be treated particularly tastefully. There are some beautiful scenes and interactions in the movie, and I thought it was a story worth telling, but the filmmaker's treatment of the subject matter I found often to be told poorly and in a manner meant more to shock or titillate that simply tell the tale.

Redmayne and Vikkander are excellent in the film, doing better than just about anyone else could have with challenging material. However, I didn't like much about the presentation and seriously doubt I will ever be compelled to revisit it.