The Danish Girl

[elisi]

Excellent review of The Danish Girl. Long, but very informative and indepth.

This is the beginning:

To my cisgender friends, I ask that, even if you would not normally do so, you please read this. This film was made for cisgender people, so I feel it important that I write this for cisgender people. I would not normally watch this movie, but it has been a subject of some discussion on this site in a way that has compelled me to watch it in order to discuss it credibly. I do not imagine what I have to say will be definitive or particularly more substantial than what other trans folks have said, but I have a voice here that some listen to, even if only briefly. I might as well take advantage of that. I know that many of you prefer not to read things about films you haven't seen, so let me say the important things first:

1. Do not watch this film. It is not merely bad, but harmful.
2. If you discuss the film, refer to Lili only as Lili and she/her.

If you are inclined to read further, I will explain why.

Comments

[sea_thoughts]

I saw this with my dad because he wanted to see it and my mum didn't. The performances were good but I felt the film was far more about Gerda than Lili. It was all about her confusion, her pain, her burden. By contrast, we didn't get much from Lili's POV. It was looking at transitioning from the outside, not the inside, and I felt it was a very conventional film trying to tell an unconventional story. I felt the point would have been made much better if Lili had been played by a woman from the outset because then it would have shown the audience how ridiculous it felt to have everyone insist that she was male just because of her clothes. Basically, they took a unique, unconventional story and shaved off most of the unconventional parts.

[elisi]

I felt it was a very conventional film trying to tell an unconventional story.
Oh, that sounds like a very good description.

I felt the point would have been made much better if Lili had been played by a woman from the outset because then it would have shown the audience how ridiculous it felt to have everyone insist that she was male just because of her clothes.
I found some photos of her (see most recent post) and she did not look masculine before her change.

Basically, they took a unique, unconventional story and shaved off most of the unconventional parts.
= Hollywood :(

[sea_thoughts]

I saw the photos and yeah, she does not look masculine even before the transition. But then the movie wouldn't even touch on the subject of someone being intersex.

[elisi]

But then the movie wouldn't even touch on the subject of someone being intersex.
It would confuse the poor little straight cis-people normal who can only work in binary. /Hollywood thinking