Summary
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The Danish Girl
had poor casting choices, but it led to positive real-world impact for the transgender community. - Alicia Vikander recognizes the movie’s complex legacy, calling it “dated” but also noting it as an important movie for bringing a trans story to a wider audience.
- Hollywood has a history of excluding trans actors from trans roles, but positive steps are being taken towards inclusion.
Alicia Vikander reflects on The Danish Girl nine years since it was released in theaters, offering an honest response to its poor casting choices while highlighting the positive impact the movie has had. Starring Vikander and Eddie Redmayne, the 2015 biographical drama told the story of artists Gerda Wegener and Lili Elbe, as the latter comes out as transgender and embarks on a journey to be true to herself in 1920s Europe. While The Danish Girl was a critical and box office success that netted several award nominations, casting decisions and historical inaccuracies brought the movie under scrutiny.
As nine years have almost passed since The Danish Girl opened in theaters, Vikander opened up to The Guardian about its complicated legacy. Vikander stated that the film had made poor casting choices, agreeing with co-star Redmayne that Lili should have been played by a trans actress, though she also highlighted how the movie has led to people discussing with her how it helped them come out as transgender and live their own lives. Check out Vikander’s full response below:
It’s incredible – only a few years after that film came out, it’s become quite dated… People who have been transitioning, trans men and women that I met – it’s been nice to hear that some had used the film as a way in, to show their parents. If it could be part of that discussion, it’s wonderful.”
What Were The Casting Issues Surrounding The Danish Girl?
Hollywood has a history of excluding transgender individuals from trans roles and stories.
Despite the real-world positive impact that Vikander described, it is hard to deny that The Danish Girl had played into poor casting practices employed in Hollywood, even if the filmmakers behind the feature had the best intentions. While features including The Danish Girl, The Adventures of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, and Dallas Buyers Club have featured key trans characters, these roles were portrayed by cisgender men. Even with positive, fully fleshed-out representations of the trans community and their lives, transgender performers have been excluded from telling relevant stories in favor of casting established cis stars.
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However, through criticisms of The Danish Girl and other features, as well as other issues surrounding casting transgender individuals in Hollywood productions, the industry is taking positive steps. Not only has there been a more careful effort to cast transgender men and women when telling their stories, but trans stars have been cast in key roles, such as Hunter Schaffer in Euphoria and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Hari Neff in Barbie, and Abigail Thorn in House of the Dragon and The Acolyte. At a time when the community needs support, trans visibility is vital in creating a more accepting world.
Despite its award season legacy and emphatic portrayal of a transgender woman’s life, The Danish Girl may never shake off its complicated place in Hollywood’s history of handling LGBTQ+ stories. While not as prominent in discussions as they would become in later years, the issues surrounding casting cis stars in transgender roles were still well-known during the feature’s production, muddying whatever intentions the individuals behind the feature may have had. Despite this, Vikander’s acceptance of its complex legacy and highlighting of its real-world impact does show, despite missteps, lessons are being learned in creating a welcome, accepting industry.
Source: The Guardian
The Danish Girl
3.5
Based on the life of Danish painter Lili Elbe, The Danish Girl stars Eddie Redmayne as Elbe, who as a trans woman in the 1920s was among the first individuals to receive gender-affirming surgery. The film chronicles Lili’s transition, assisted by her wife and fellow artist, Gerda Wegener. Alicia Vikander, Ben Whishaw, Sebastian Koch, and Amber Heard also star.
- Director
- Tom Hooper
- Release Date
- November 27, 2015
- Studio(s)
- Universal Pictures
- Distributor(s)
- Universal Pictures , Focus Features , Lionsgate
- Writers
- Lucinda Coxon
- Runtime
- 119minutes
- Budget
- $15 million
