The Danish Girl (film)

In the mid-1920s Copenhagen, portrait artist Gerda Wegener asks her spouse, Einar Wegener, a popular landscape artist and closeted trans woman, to stand in for a female model, who is late arriving at their flat to pose for a painting Gerda is working on.

The experience of posing for Gerda's painting inspires Einar to come out as transgender and rename herself Lili Ilse Elvenes, later adopting the surname Elbe. This sets off a progression, first tentative and then irreversible, of leaving behind the masculine gender expression Lili has struggled to maintain all her life. Lili and Gerda relocate to Paris; Gerda's portraits of Lili in her feminine state attract serious attention from art dealers in a way that Gerda's previous portraits did not. Gerda tracks down art dealer Hans Axgil, Lili's childhood friend (whom Lili had kissed when they were young). Hans and Gerda's mutual attraction is a challenge as Gerda is navigating her changing relationship with Lili. Hans' long-time friendship with and affection for Lili causes him to support Lili and Gerda.

As Lili continues suppressing her transgender identity, she starts to seek help from psychologists. However, none of them are able to help her, and, in one instance, Lili is almost committed to an asylum. Eventually, at Ulla Poulsen's recommendation, Lili and Gerda meet Dr. Kurt Warnekros. Dr. Warnekros explains that he has met other transgender women. He proposes an innovative and controversial solution for Lili: male-to-female sex reassignment surgery. He also mentions that this is the second time he has offered this surgery, but the first patient got too nervous and left before the surgery began. This would entail a two-part procedure that involves first removing Lili's external genitalia and then, after a period of recovery, fashioning a vagina. He warns Lili and Gerda that it is a very dangerous operation which has never been attempted before, and Lili would be one of the first to undergo it. Lili immediately agrees and, soon after, travels to Germany without Gerda to begin the surgery.

Gerda stays behind for a while but ultimately decides she should be by Lili's side. She arrives after Lili has completed the first surgery, who is very much in pain with a serious infection and a negative prognosis. After Gerda helps Lili heal, Lili begins working in a department store selling women's perfume. She befriends a man who was originally interested in her when she was presenting as a man, and she emphasizes that Gerda's relationship with her is over because she is no longer presenting as a man. Lili stays a while but decides it is time to go for the second surgery, much to Gerda's distress. Lili again leaves alone.

Gerda again shows up after the surgery is complete, but Lili is pale and weak. She feels complete and insists she be taken out to the garden again. Lili dies of complications from the second surgery while talking with Gerda. Gerda and Hans travel to a hilltop back in Denmark where Hans and Lili grew up, in front of the five trees Lili often painted. The scarf that Lili had originally given Gerda, which had subsequently been given back and forth several times, is carried away in the wind, dancing.

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• Eddie Redmayne as Lili Elbe
• Alicia Vikander as Gerda Wegener (née Gottlieb)
• Matthias Schoenaerts as Hans Axgil (Fernando Porta)
• Ben Whishaw as Henrik Sandahl (Claude Lejeune)
• Amber Heard as Ulla Poulsen
• Sebastian Koch as Dr. Kurt Warnekros
• Pip Torrens as Dr. Jens Hexler
• Nicholas Woodeson as Dr. Buson
• Emerald Fennell as Elsa
• Adrian Schiller as Rasmussen
• Henry Pettigrew as Niels
• Pixie as Hvappe, the Jack Russell dog{{cite news|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0810819/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm|website=IMDb|access-date=27 August 2018|title=The Danish Girl: Full Cast & Crew}}{{cite news|url=https://www.thewrap.com/danish-girl-alicia-vikander-transgender-extremely-fluid/|website=TheWrap|date=27 November 2015|access-date=27 August 2018|title=Danish Girl Star Alicia Vikander on how gender is extremely fluid}}

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Screenwriter Lucinda Coxon worked on the screenplay for a decade before it was produced. She told Creative Screenwriting:

I started in 2004 and within a couple of years we had a script we were happy to send out. We were terribly excited and I was fantastically naïve because when you fall in love with a project, you assume that everyone else will be in love with it as well. The actors were very much in love with it. Several well-known actresses wanted to play Gerda, but the subject matter made it quite difficult to find someone to play Lili. We scheduled various directors and with each director came a new draft.{{cite web|url=http://creativescreenwriting.com/the-pleasure-for-me-is-in-the-monomania-lucinda-coxon-on-the-danish-girl/|title="The pleasure for me is in the monomania." Lucinda Coxon on The Danish Girl|last=Swinson|first=Brock|date=9 December 2015|publisher=Creative Screenwriting|access-date=9 December 2015}}

On 12 January 2010, Swedish director Lasse Hallström told Swedish media that he had been assigned to replace Alfredson as director.{{cite news |url=http://www.aftonbladet.se/nojesbladet/film/article6414392.ab |title=Hallström gör film med Kidman - efter Alfredsons avhopp |language=sv |date=12 January 2010 |newspaper=Aftonbladet |access-date=12 January 2010}}

In 2008, Nicole Kidman was originally attached to play Lili and produce the film through her company Blossom Films.{{cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2008/11/nicole_kidman_to_play_worlds_f.html|title=Nicole Kidman to Reassign Sexuality|work=Vulture|first=Lane|last=Brown|date=10 November 2008|access-date=12 December 2022}}[https://filmschoolrejects.com/nicole-kidman-stars-in-the-danish-girl/ Nicole Kidman Goes Transsexual for ‘The Danish Girl’]{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Film School Rejects Charlize Theron was originally slated to play the role of Gerda Wegener but, after leaving the project, was replaced by Gwyneth Paltrow.[https://web.archive.org/web/20091112022113/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/6531234/Nicole-Kidman-and-Gwyneth-Paltrow-to-play-husband-and-wife.html Nicole Kidman and Gwyneth Paltrow to play husband and wife] The Telegraph. 9 November 2009 Paltrow then left the project due to location changes.{{cite web|url=https://www.accessonline.com/articles/gwyneth-paltrow-opens-up-about-marriage-talks-brad-angelina-84237|title=Gwyneth Paltrow Opens Up About Marriage, Talks Brad & Angelina|work=Access Online|date=10 April 2010|access-date=12 December 2022}} Uma Thurman was also a rumoured replacement. In September 2010, Marion Cotillard was rumored to be the lead candidate for the role of Gerda Wegener.{{Cite web|url=http://www.accesshollywood.com/casting-call-nicole-kidman-set-for-sweet-return-to-broadway_article_37184|title=Casting Call: Kidman Headed Back To Broadway}}{{cite web|url=https://www.heyuguys.com/marion-cotillard-to-star-opposite-nicole-kidman-in-the-danish-girl/|title=Marion Cotillard to Star Opposite Nicole Kidman in The Danish Girl?|website=HeyUGuys|first=Jamie|last=Neish|date=24 September 2010|access-date=12 December 2022}}

On 11 June 2010, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that the film had received €1.2 million ($1.5 million) in subsidy financing from Germany's NRW Film Board. The conditions of the deal included the planned 19-day shoot in Germany.{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/danish-girl-picks-german-cash-24526/|title='Danish Girl' picks up German cash|work=The Hollywood Reporter|first=Scott|last=Roxborough|date=11 June 2010|access-date=12 December 2022}} In February 2011, Screen Daily reported that the film would begin shooting in July of the same year and that Rachel Weisz would play Wegener.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.screendaily.com/news/europe/hallstrom-set-to-start-the-danish-girl-shoot-in-july/5023729.article|title=Hallstrom set to start The Danish Girl shoot in July|magazine=Screen Daily|date=14 February 2011|access-date=20 February 2011|first=Gunnar|last=Rehlin}} In May, it was revealed that both Weisz and Hallström had left the project.{{cite web|url=http://www.screendaily.com/news/production/hallstrom-leaves-the-danish-girl-casts-persbrandt-for-the-hypnotist/5027548.article|title=Hallstrom leaves The Danish Girl, casts Persbrandt for The Hypnotist|work=Screen Daily|first1=Geoffrey|last1=Macnab|first2=Gunnar|last2=Rehlin|date=15 May 2011|access-date=12 December 2022}}

On 28 April 2014, it was announced that Tom Hooper would direct the film with Eddie Redmayne as the lead.{{cite news |url=https://deadline.com/2014/04/les-mis-duo-tom-hooper-and-eddie-redmayne-re-team-on-the-danish-girl-721002/|title='Les Mis' Duo Tom Hooper And Eddie Redmayne Re-Team On 'The Danish Girl'|date=28 April 2015 |newspaper=Aftonbladet |access-date=21 June 2015 }} While filming Jupiter Ascending, Redmayne spoke with Lana Wachowski, saying she "told me where to start reading, and where to start educating myself" about Gerda and Lili.{{cite news |url=https://www.cinemablend.com/new/Hollywood-Director-Who-Really-Helped-Eddie-Redmayne-Prepare-Danish-Girl-95437.html|title=The Hollywood Director Who Really Helped Eddie Redmayne Prepare For The Danish Girl|date=23 November 2015 |newspaper=CinemaBlend |access-date=17 May 2021 }} On 19 June 2014, Alicia Vikander was announced in the cast.{{cite magazine |url=https://deadline.com/2014/06/alicia-vikander-landing-leads-in-light-between-oceans-and-danish-girl-793119/ |title=Alicia Vikander To Star In 'Light Between Oceans' And 'Danish Girl' |date=19 June 2014 |magazine=Deadline |access-date=21 June 2015}} On 8 January 2015, Matthias Schoenaerts joined the cast.{{cite magazine |url=https://deadline.com/2015/01/matthias-schoenaerts-join-tom-hoopers-the-danish-girl-1201344196/ |title=Matthias Schoenaerts To Join Tom Hooper's 'The Danish Girl'|date=8 January 2015 |magazine=Deadline |access-date=21 June 2015}}

Filming was projected to start in Spring 2010 in Berlin.{{cite web|url=https://vancouversun.com/entertainment/serious+business+becoming+woman/2572626/story.html|title=The serious business of becoming a woman|work=Vancouver Sun|date=16 February 2010}}{{Dead link|date=June 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=no }} Coxon revealed to Creative Screenwriting that, when filming finally began with Hooper, he actually filmed an older version of the script:

We had probably gone through 20 drafts before landing Tom Hooper. In fact, the one we shot was actually an early revised draft that Tom had read back in 2008. I did a fairly large rewrite for Tom, but in the end, we used a version with little revision from the original.

Post-production ended in September 2015.{{cite web|url=http://www.wearemoviegeeks.com/2015/11/eddie-redmayne-laverne-cox-at-special-screening-of-tom-hoopers-the-danish-girl/|title=Eddie Redmayne & Laverne Cox At Special Screening Of Tom Hooper's THE DANISH GIRL|first=Michelle|last=McCue|date=9 November 2015|access-date=21 December 2015}} According to composer Alexandre Desplat, post-production was very fast, with the film being cut as Desplat was writing the score, which was recorded only a week prior to the film's premiere at the Venice Film Festival.{{cite magazine|url=https://variety.com/2015/artisans/news/danish-girl-alexandre-desplat-music-1201662338/|title=Alexandre Desplat on the Music Challenges & Rewards of 'Danish Girl'|magazine=Variety|first=Tim|last=Gray|date=15 December 2015|access-date=21 December 2015}}

Hooper revealed to Indiewire and After Ellen that the film's ending is different from the novel (in which Gerda and Hans stay together) and real life (Gerda and Lili were not together in Lili's final days), and he de-emphasized the importance of the Hans storyline because he did not want to feel that there was a love possibility for Gerda with Hans that could in any way rival Lili. He wanted it to be ambiguous whether it would turn into a love affair, rather than a friendship because he saw Lili and Gerda as the loves of each other's lives. He took the script in that direction to protect the importance of their relationship.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.indiewire.com/article/tom-hooper-explains-why-he-cast-eddie-redmayne-as-the-danish-girl-20151125|title=Tom Hooper Explains Why He Cast Eddie Redmayne as 'The Danish Girl'|magazine=Variety|first=Kristy|last=Puchko|date=25 November 2015|access-date=3 February 2016}}{{cite news|url=http://www.afterellen.com/movies/463583-alicia-vikander-love-story-danish-girl|website=afterellen.com|date=24 November 2015|access-date=28 December 2015|title=Alicia Vikander on the love story that is "The Danish Girl"}}

In an interview with MTV International, Vikander revealed that two scenes featuring Amber Heard dancing were cut from the film, as well as stating the first cut for the film was over 2 hours.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEAedZFjRJo |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211220/EEAedZFjRJo |archive-date=2021-12-20 |url-status=live|title=The Danish Girl Deleted Scenes: Cast's Favourite|publisher=YouTube.com|first=MTV|last=International|date=28 December 2015|access-date=28 December 2015}}{{cbignore}}

{{Main|The Danish Girl (soundtrack)}}

On 4 March 2015, Focus Features set the film for a limited release on 27 November 2015.{{cite web|last1=Sneider|first1=Jeff|title=Eddie Redmayne's Transgender Drama 'The Danish Girl' Gets Awards Season Release Date|url=https://www.thewrap.com/eddie-redmaynes-transgender-drama-the-danish-girl-gets-awards-season-release-date/|access-date=9 March 2015|website=TheWrap|date=4 March 2015}} The film had its world premiere at the 72nd Venice Film Festival on 5 September 2015.{{cite news|title=Two Matthias Schoenaerts' movies at Venice Film Festival|url=http://deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws.english/Culture/1.2403363|access-date=12 August 2015|publisher=deredactie.be|date=30 July 2015}}{{cite news|title=72nd Venice International Film Festival Screening Schedule|url=http://www.labiennale.org/en/cinema/72nd-festival/screenings/5sept.html|access-date=12 August 2015|publisher=labiennale.org|date=12 August 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151005222742/http://www.labiennale.org/en/cinema/72nd-festival/screenings/5sept.html|archive-date=5 October 2015|df=dmy-all}} Universal Pictures handled distribution in other territories outside the U.S., with a release on 1 January 2016 in the United Kingdom.

The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on 1 March 2016 in the United States.{{cite web|url=http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Danish-Girl-Blu-ray/146477/|title=The Danish Girl Blu-ray|publisher=Blu-ray.com|access-date=19 February 2015}}

The first image of Redmayne as Lili Elbe was revealed on 26 February 2015.{{cite web|last1=Lloyd|first1=Kenji|title=Eddie Redmayne Transforms Into Transgender Painter Einar Wegener in First Look at The Danish Girl|url=http://www.finalreel.co.uk/the-danish-girl-eddie-redmayne-first-look/|website=Final Reel|access-date=2 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626153103/http://www.finalreel.co.uk/the-danish-girl-eddie-redmayne-first-look/|archive-date=26 June 2015|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}} A pair of posters of Redmayne and Vikander were then released in August.{{cite news|last1=Lloyd|first1=Kenji|title=Stunning First Posters for The Danish Girl with Eddie Redmayne & Alicia Vikander|url=http://www.finalreel.co.uk/the-danish-girl-posters-redmayne-vikander/|publisher=Final Reel|date=27 August 2015|access-date=27 August 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151008052755/http://www.finalreel.co.uk/the-danish-girl-posters-redmayne-vikander/|archive-date=8 October 2015|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}} On 1 September 2015, the first trailer was released.{{cite web|last=Gerard |first=Jeremy |url=https://deadline.com/2015/09/eddie-redmayne-alicia-vikander-the-danish-girl-trailer-1201511328/ |title='The Danish Girl' Trailer: Eddie Redmayne & Alicia Vikander Drama First Look |website=Deadline Hollywood |date=1 September 2015 |access-date=6 September 2015}} On 19 November 2015, the first clip from the film was released.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.ew.com/article/2015/11/19/danish-girl-eddie-redmayne-alicia-vikanders-first-kiss|title=Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander recall fateful first kiss in The Danish Girl clip|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|first=Joe|last=McGovern|date=19 November 2015|access-date=21 November 2015}}

File:Northpark11.jpg

The Danish Girl has grossed $11.1 million in North America and $53.1 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $64.2 million, against a budget of $15 million.

The film had a limited release in the United States and Canada across four cinemas in New York and Los Angeles on 27 November 2015 before expanding cinemas in December. The film earned $185,000 in its opening weekend, averaging $46,250, which is the sixth-best opening weekend per cinema average of 2015.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2015/11/the-danish-girl-carol-janis-little-girl-blue-specialty-box-office-1201645972/|title='The Danish Girl' Bows With Style; 'Janis: Little Girl Blue' Solid In Debut; 'Carol' Dominates Thanksgiving: Specialty B.O.|author=Brian Brooks|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=29 November 2015|access-date=30 November 2015}} The opening weekend’s audience was 58% female, and 67% were over 40.

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On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 66% based on 245 reviews, with an average rating of 6.6/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "The Danish Girl serves as another showcase for Eddie Redmayne's talent—and poignantly explores thought-provoking themes with a beautifully filmed biopic drama."{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_danish_girl_2015|title=The Danish Girl (2015)|publisher=Fandango Media|work=Rotten Tomatoes|date=25 December 2015 |access-date=5 March 2023}} On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 66 out of 100, based on 41 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-danish-girl/|title=The Danish Girl Reviews|publisher=CBS Interactive|work=Metacritic|access-date=5 March 2023}}

Independent film website FilmDebate credited The Danish Girl as the "most important film of 2015," stating that: "This is not only the best movie of the year, but it is the most important. The story and performances come together in the truest of ways to make a film that the whole world needs to see and get behind."{{Cite web|url=http://filmdebate.co.uk/article/article-the-danish-girl-the-most-important-film-of-2015/|title=The Danish Girl: Most Important Film Of 2015 {{!}} FilmDebate|website=filmdebate.co.uk|language=en-US|access-date=2017-02-25|archive-date=25 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170225205653/http://filmdebate.co.uk/article/article-the-danish-girl-the-most-important-film-of-2015/|url-status=dead}}

The film's acting, particularly that of Redmayne and Vikander in the lead roles, received considerable acclaim, with Marie Asner of Phantom Tollbooth stating that "the acting is what makes this film".{{cite web|url=http://www.tollbooth.org/index.php/current-issue/movie-reviews/1696-the-danish-girl-asner|title=The Danish Girl (Asner)|publisher=Tolllbooth|access-date=12 February 2016}} Redmayne's performance was described as "another sterling example of just how deeply he can immerse himself into a role" by Jim Schembri of 3AW, and as "revealing, heartbreaking and believable" by Linda Cook of Quad-City Times.{{cite web|url=http://qctimes.com/danish-girl-is-a-memorable-love-story/article_35597940-c8ee-563e-8402-8e72684f7ae5.html|title='Danish Girl' is a memorable love story|date=24 January 2016 |publisher=Qaud-City Times|access-date=12 February 2016}}

Kyle Buchanan, writing for Vulture, complained that it was part of a trend of "queer and trans films that are actually about straight people",{{cite news|url=https://www.vulture.com/2015/09/when-queer-films-are-still-about-straight-people.html|title=Enough With the Queer and Trans Films That Are Actually About Straight People|date=16 September 2015|website=Vulture.com|access-date=15 January 2016}} while Paul Byrnes for The Sydney Morning Herald said it was "a lost opportunity" in which "the frocks are more convincing than the emotions."{{Cite news|url = https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/review-the-danish-girl-is-an-exercise-in-constructed-melodrama-20160119-gm95ba.html|title = Review: The Danish Girl is "an exercise in constructed melodrama"|last = Byrnes|first = Paul|date = 22 January 2016|work = The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date = 26 January 2016}} Casey Plett, a transgender writer, criticised the script in a conversation in The Walrus as "atrocious and boring", going on to say "It's like someone got inspired by a Shakespeare tragedy, then combined the verbosity of R. L. Stine with the subtlety of Brendan Fraser."{{cite news|url=https://thewalrus.ca/seeing-lili-elbe/|title=Seeing Lili Elbe|date=7 January 2016|website=thewalrus.ca|access-date=28 September 2016}}

{{main|List of accolades received by The Danish Girl (film)}}

File:Grabstein Lili Elbe.jpg funded the renovation of Lili Elbes' grave in Dresden{{cite web |title=Filmmakers honour real-life 'Danish Girl' with a new tombstone in Dresden |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tc7XMYyMT_4 |website=lonely planet | date=13 November 2018 |access-date=8 July 2022}} [https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/real-life-danish-girl-new-tombstone Alt URL]]]

The Danish Girl has been criticised as being written similarly to forced feminization erotica, obscuring the actual story of a historical transgender woman,{{cite news|url=https://medium.com/@HARLOT/the-danish-girl-stretches-frilly-forced-femme-fantasy-over-actual-trans-history-c5703dbd47a0|date=2015-11-23|access-date=2015-11-25|title="The Danish Girl" Stretches Frilly Forced-Femme Fantasy Over Actual Trans History|newspaper=HARLOT Magazine}}{{cite news|url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/bent/regressive-reductive-and-harmful-a-trans-womans-take-on-tom-hoopers-the-danish-girl-20151203|website=Indiewire|date=3 December 2015|access-date=15 January 2016|title=Regressive, Reductive and Harmful: A Trans Woman's Take On Tom Hooper's Embarrassing 'Danish Girl'|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160115054031/http://blogs.indiewire.com/bent/regressive-reductive-and-harmful-a-trans-womans-take-on-tom-hoopers-the-danish-girl-20151203|archive-date=15 January 2016|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}} and for being based on a fictional book that does not tell the true story of Elbe and Wegener.{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/film/the-danish-girl/true-story-lili-elbe-transgender/|website=The Telegraph|date=8 December 2015|access-date=10 December 2015|title=The tragic true story behind The Danish Girl}}{{cite news|url=http://www.westword.com/film/biopic-formula-undermines-the-danish-girls-true-story-7429055|website=westword.com|date=15 December 2015|access-date=15 January 2016|title=Biopic Formula Undermines The Danish Girl's True Story}}{{cite news|url=https://nickysfilmdiary.wordpress.com/2016/01/15/the-danish-girl-2015/|website=nickysfilmdiary.com|date=15 January 2016|access-date=3 February 2016|title=The Danish Girl (2015): a disappointing [sic] and conservative portrayal of transsexuality|archive-date=31 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170731164624/https://nickysfilmdiary.wordpress.com/2016/01/15/the-danish-girl-2015/|url-status=dead}} Additionally, it was criticised for casting Redmayne, a cisgender man, in the role of a transgender woman. Redmayne acknowledged this criticism in an interview with Indiewire around the time of the film's 2015 release, calling it an "incredibly important discussion".{{cite web |last1=Puchko |first1=Kristy |title=Eddie Redmayne Talks Backlash, Trans Representation and the Power of the Male Gaze in 'The Danish Girl' |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2015/11/eddie-redmayne-talks-backlash-trans-representation-and-the-power-of-the-male-gaze-in-the-danish-girl-50373/ |website=Indiewire |date=24 November 2015 |access-date=17 February 2020}}

In a 2018 GQ interview, Redmayne said he was unsure in retrospect if he should have accepted the role.{{cite web |title=Eddie Redmayne Breaks Down His Most Iconic Characters - GQ |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tc7XMYyMT_4 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211220/Tc7XMYyMT_4 |archive-date=2021-12-20 |url-status=live|website=YouTube | date=13 November 2018 |access-date=17 February 2020}}{{cbignore}} He stated in 2021 that he regretted it, stating, "I made that film with the best intentions, but I think it was a mistake. The bigger discussion about the frustrations around casting is because many people don’t have a chair at the table. There must be a leveling, otherwise, we are going to carry on having these debates."{{cite news|url=https://deadline.com/2021/11/eddie-redmayne-the-danish-girl-regrets-taking-role-1234878512/|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=21 November 2021|access-date=21 November 2021|title=Eddie Redmayne Expresses Regret For His Role As A Trans Character In 'The Danish Girl'|last=Haring|first=Bruce}}

Alicia Vikander was awarded the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film, the film's only Oscar win out of the four nominations. The Academy was criticised for nominating Vikander's performance for Best Supporting Actress, as Vikander has about one hour of screen-time, which is 50% of the film's run-time, which qualified her for consideration in the Best Actress category.{{Cite web |date=2016-02-29 |title=Alicia Vikander wins best supporting actress Oscar |url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/variety/alicia-vikander-wins-best-supporting-actress-oscar/article64339508.ece |access-date=2022-06-03 |website=www.thehindubusinessline.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=How Much Screen Time Did This Year's Supporting Oscar Nominees Actually Have? |url=https://www.vulture.com/2016/02/screen-time-supporting-oscar-nominees.html |access-date=2022-06-03 |website=Vulture |date= 12 February 2016|language=en-us}} The film's distributor Focus Features had campaigned in support of Vikander in the Supporting Actress category, in which many lead actresses have been nominated and won.{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/2015/10/05/alicia-vikander-danish-girl-supporting-actress/|title=Alicia Vikander: Best Actress race loaded with contenders|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=5 October 2015|access-date=12 January 2017}}{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/2015/film/awards/alicia-vikander-and-rooney-mara-campaigns-fuel-category-fraud-debate-1201611237/|title=Alicia Vikander and Rooney Mara Campaigns Fuel 'Category Fraud' Debate|website=Variety|date=6 October 2015|access-date=12 January 2017}} She was intentionally not shortlisted in the Best Actress category as she would have been competing against Brie Larson for her role in Room, which would have decreased her chances of winning while the Supporting Actress category had less competition.{{cite news|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/10/what-makes-a-lead-actor/410617/|title=Why Oscar Nominations Make No Sense|work=The Atlantic|date=15 October 2015|access-date=12 January 2017}}{{cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/awards-category-fraud-insane-manipulation-842089|title=Awards "Category Fraud": The Insane Manipulation of the Acting Categories|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=24 November 2015|access-date=12 January 2017}}{{cite news|url=https://screencrush.com/oscars-golden-globes-category-fraud/|title=What Is Category Fraud? A Closer Look at This Year's Big Oscar Controversy|website=ScreenCrush|date=10 December 2015|access-date=12 January 2017}}{{cite news|url=https://www.yahoo.com/movies/alicia-vikander-rooney-mara-and-1373720771887158.html|title=Alicia Vikander, Rooney Mara, and the Most Egregiously Miscategorized Oscar Nominees|website=Yahoo|date=26 February 2016|access-date=12 January 2017}}Lindsay, Brian (2016). Category Fraud p139-145. Tranter Ward Books {{ISBN|978-0-9804909-1-6}} At both the Golden Globe Awards and the British Academy Awards, Vikander's performance in The Danish Girl was nominated for Best Actress and she was included in the Best Supporting Actress category for her work in Ex Machina.{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/golden-globe-nominations-complete-list-847494/item/best-motion-picture-drama-golden-847480|title=Golden Globe Nominations: The Complete List|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=December 10, 2015|access-date=December 10, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.bafta.org/film/awards/film-awards-information|title=Film Awards Information|date=21 December 2011|publisher=British Academy of Film and Television Arts|access-date=12 October 2015}} (She lost both awards to Kate Winslet for Steve Jobs.)

• The film is based on the novel The Danish Girl by David Ebershoff, and as such may duplicate some fictionalized or speculative content of the novel. However, director Tom Hooper has stated that the film is closer to the true story than Ebershoff's book.
• Lili and Gerda moved to Paris in 1912, but the film appears to imply they moved to Paris in the late '20s. Paris was remarkably liberal in the 1910s and 1920s, which is the reason why Gerda and Lili settled there and Gerda lived openly as a lesbian in the city.{{cite news|title=Gerda Wegener - Artist|website=Biography.com|url=http://www.biography.com/people/gerda-wegener-090915|access-date=12 February 2016}}{{cite news|url=http://www.edgemedianetwork.com/entertainment///190094|website=Edge Media Network|date=18 December 2015|access-date=12 February 2016|title=Who Was 'The Danish Girl?'|archive-date=12 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190512004813/http://www.edgemedianetwork.com/entertainment///190094|url-status=dead}} The scene in which Lili, dressed in men's clothes, is beaten by two men in Paris after being assumed to be a lesbian is fictional.{{cite news|date=13 January 2016|title=The Danish Girl transforms fascinating truths into tasteful, safe drama|website=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/jan/13/the-danish-girl-transforms-fascinating-truths-into-tasteful-safe-drama|access-date=15 January 2016}}
• Lili's post-transition name was Lili Ilse Elvenes. The name "Lili Elbe", the only name used in the film, was made up by Copenhagen journalist Louise "Loulou" Lassen.{{cite news |title=A Trans Timeline - Trans Media Watch |url=http://www.transmediawatch.org/timeline.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181226033626/http://www.transmediawatch.org/timeline.html |archive-date=26 December 2018 |access-date=3 February 2016 |website=Trans Media Watch}}
• Gerda divorced from Porta in 1936, did not have children, and never married again. She returned to Denmark, took to drinking, and died penniless in 1940. The character Hans Axgil did not exist in her life and was merely a loose inspiration from Porta, though the real Fernando Porta was not a childhood friend of Lili.{{cite news|url=http://www.historyvshollywood.com/reelfaces/danish-girl/|website=historyvshollywood.com|access-date=10 December 2015|title=The Danish Girl vs the True Story of Lili Elbe, Gerda Wegener}} The surname Axgil is a reference to the Danish couple Axel and Eigil Axgil, the first gay couple ever to enter into a registered partnership.{{citation needed|date=November 2021}}
• Elbe died from organ rejection due to a uterus transplant (her fifth operation) in 1931, at the age of 48, but in the film she dies after the second sex reassignment surgery.{{cite news|date=25 November 2015|title=Is 'The Danish Girl' A True Story? Lili Elbe's Journey Was Incredible|website=bustle.com|url=http://www.bustle.com/articles/125632-is-the-danish-girl-a-true-story-lili-elbes-journey-was-incredible|access-date=27 December 2015}}

The film was banned by Qatar on grounds of "moral depravity",The Independent (12 January 2016). [https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/the-danish-girl-banned-in-qatar-on-grounds-of-moral-depravity-a6807216.html The Danish Girl banned in Qatar on grounds of 'moral depravity'] and also in the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, and Malaysia.The Hollywood Reporter 13 January 2016 [https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/danish-girl-pulled-qatar-855316 'The Danish Girl' Pulled From Cinemas in Qatar]

{{Portal|Film|LGBTQ}}

• List of feature films with transgender characters
• List of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender-related films of 2015

{{Reflist}}

• {{IMDb title|0810819|The Danish Girl}}
• {{Mojo title|danishgirl|The Danish Girl}}
• {{Rotten Tomatoes|the_danish_girl_2015|The Danish Girl}}
• {{Metacritic film|title=The Danish Girl}}

{{Tom Hooper}}

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