The Danish Girl, ©2015, Universal Pictures
by Bec Hubbard
The Danish Girl, directed by Tom Hooper, does an impeccable job of showcasing fluid gender roles in all its female characters except one; Lile Elbe. This film has every opportunity to embody the beginning of the trans movement and to restructure the definition and image of women but falls short. Unfortunately, Lili Elbe is so over-feminized that her character not only misrepresents the trans community but reinforces the socially constructed gender roles of women that are too often showcased in cinema.
This film portrays transitioning as something synonymous with death (negativity) instead of a means of completion or fullness (positivity). When Lili becomes the dominant presence in the film, Einar is said to be gone, or dead on multiple occasions. The blatant dissociation of Einar and Lili undermines the relationship that is quintessential to the trans experience; two looks, one identity. Lili is the identity of the main character and Einar is essentially a representation of men’s clothing; yet Einar has all the substance and Lili has nothing but a yearning for womanhood. The fun-loving, caring painter seen as “Einar” in the beginning of the film is seen nowhere in Lili – he is just gone and the woman that takes his place is a hollow representation of the ideal; soft spoken, subordinate, and jobless. Gerda points out that she has in fact always been married to Lili, even if it was a physical manifestation of Einar because she understands that Einar is Lili and that the only thing separating the two was clothes and body. The personality traits and passions and overall substance should not have ghosted the moment men’s clothes disappeared. This representation alone and the lack of blending between the two characters infers that transitioning is a death and replacement instead of a completing a puzzle that was missing a piece. Transitioning is NOT murder, it is growth, and it is completion, and it is fullness. The trans community and the depth of this identity was misrepresented in this film, and in some ways not fully represented at all. Though a male-to-female trans character was portrayed, this character was played by a white, cis-gender man (Eddie Redmayne) who could never fully empathize with this identity. These choices portray pre-operative trans individuals as “fakes” or actors instead of genuine individuals that lack the correct physical features. These characters are equal parts of each other and a blending should have occurred, instead Lili existed only in the absence of Einar.
Lili sprouts from Einar as a woman that thrives on being delicate and done-up. Even Gerda, the only other predominant female character in this film is not as feminized as Lili. On the contrary, Gerda is extremely masculine in comparison and is often seen smoking a cigarette and challenging Mulvey’s “gaze” theory by putting men in extremely vulnerable situations while she works. Lili on the other hand completely opposes this masculinity and is always in full make-up and fancy dress. An incredible amount of power is given to costume in this film; costume is basically what dictates Einar and Lili. Coincidentally, the accepted name by the lead character is literally symbolic of a flower, one of the most delicate yet beautiful presences in nature. Her obsession with being prim and vulnerable is showcased through the time spent practicing movements and mimicking other women as if trying to perfect the part of the weak and feeble “damsel in distress”. Eddie Redmayne does an incredible job of acting the part and selling the extreme side of the feminine stereotype through facial expressions, voice manipulation and touch; even to the detriment of reinforcing the inferior woman role in film. Not only does it seem this is enforced in a manner of self-expression, it is also promoted within the relationships Lili forges and maintains in the film.
The relationship once blossoming between Gerda and Einar, has turned into an uncomfortable situation for everyone. Lili has killed off Gerda’s husband and has stuck around to borrow her clothes and makeup while paying little attention to the emotional impact it has had. The control dynamic between the two characters is even more awkward; though it seems as if Lili has a hold on Gerda, in all actuality Lili seems to yearn for the Gerdas approval and permission to do much of anything. This comes into play when Lili pleads with Gerda to go get the second surgery with her and is also noted by the compulsive lies Lili tells about her relationships in fear of Gerdas disapproval. Even in the relationship with her new beau, Lili is in a subordinate position – any masculine figure or personality in this film is superior to Lili. Lili is often placed lower in frame than Gerda and her new beau, indicating that she is less than and weak in comparison. The very first interaction Lili has with Henrick is literally her saying no to a kiss and him doing it anyway with no repercussion. If this does not reinforce the idea that women are present to be dominated by man or masculinity of any sort, then I don’t know what does. Lili becomes subordinate and controlled, and ultimately chooses to forfeit her one source of power; her job.
- The Danish Girl, ©2015, Universal Pictures
Lili takes over as the dominant character and suddenly the career once shared by husband and wife becomes a thing of the past. Einar was an extremely talented painter who enjoyed his work, but the disassociation that Lili has created with that side of herself has led to the forfeit of a career. The character becomes art, something to be marveled at instead of an artist and opts for a low key, dumbed down job with no substance. The film further eludes that she becomes some sort of stay at home wife to Gerda. At one point, Gerda comes home from an employer meeting to find food prepared and Lili in full dress and make-up to welcome her home. It seems that the second men’s clothes are traded for women’s, the whole character dynamic changes and power becomes inappropriate. Moreover, a job becomes inappropriate and the only thing that seems allowed is to look good, listen, and stay at home.
Sadly, the use of mis-en-scene, acting and costume in this film took what could have been a strong, female, trans character and turned her into the embodiment of stereotypical gender roles. Though this film does an incredible job stressing the fluidity of gender roles in its secondary female role of Gerda, the decision to turn the star into a shallow representation of the trans community and the use of such a powerful character to further the socially constructed gender system is disheartening.
Works Cited
Hooper, Tom, director. The Danish Girl. Universal Pictures, 2015.
L, Gabby. “Clothes (and Colors) Speak Louder than Words.” Gender and Diversity in Film Xavier Spring 2019, 2019, engl359.home.blog/analytic-blog-posts/clothesandcolors/.
Mulvey, Laura. “Feminisms.” Google Books, books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=YLaIQNkTbkIC&oi=fnd&pg=PA438&dq=Laura%2BMulvey%2Bvisual%2Bpleasure&ots=qHDZelAh5V&sig=ZeXD8qwV_3HkW7r9dGkBEhZGBVk#v=onepage&q=Laura%20Mulvey%20visual%20pleasure&f=false.
Nagoshi, Julie L, Stephan/ie Brzuzy, and Heather K Terrell. “Deconstructing the complex perceptions of gender roles, gender identity, and sexual orientation among transgender individuals.” Feminism & Psychology, vol. 22, no. 4, 2012, pp. 405-422. OhioLINK Electronic Journal Center, doi:10.1177/0959353512461929.
Paskert, Abigail. “Homosexuals?? : Laura Mulvey and ‘Love, Simon.’” Gender and Diversity in Film Xavier Spring 2019, 2019, engl359.home.blog/analytic-blog-posts/homosexuals-laura-mulvey-and-love-simon/.
“Timeline: Transgender Through History – Doc Zone – CBC-TV.” CBCnews, CBC/Radio Canada, http://www.cbc.ca/doczone/features/timeline-transgender-through-history.
Gender and Diversity in Film 
Don’t some trans people want their past selves to be “dead”? Don’t some trans-people feel the need to “act” when they are not the gender they feel they are. Like a trans-woman sometimes feels like she has to act manly so people don’t ridicule her, at least at the beginning of their realization that they are trans. Like their own “staying in the closet”. It’s not a part of every trans-person’s life, but it still is part of a process many of them go through. I think it’s okay for trans-people to X-out their past lives. Especially since many people have experienced trauma in their past lives. And maybe, in respect to your analysis, trans- people act like the gender they want to be instead of themselves as that gender. That was just a thought I had about your analysis (and I’m definitely not a trans expert by any means) which is nonetheless very interesting to read. I can’t wait to watch this movie and come back to this analysis once I have a better understanding of the film.
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I think you have a very interesting argument- exploring the intersection and gender and gender roles, and what that can look like for a trans-person. Although I have not seen the movie, I understand that you are exploring that there is no ‘one’ way to be a woman, and yet this movie seems to stick within those stereotypes. I would encourage you to maybe include more about how mise-en-scene works into this throughout the movie, as you suggest that plays into it in your conclusion.
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I think you speak very well to the problems that are within the film. I remember loving the film when I had first seen it, but I wondered about the treatment of Einar, as well. You explain why the “death” of Einar is problematic, and even find a counterpoint within the script itself. I think a quote or some more deliberate analysis of this moment would be really helpful. Similarly, I like your treatment of Lili’s problematic submission that surfaces only through her transition–I think a close reading of a scene that exemplifies this would be to your advantage in your paragraph about acting. Looking at the choices that are made by the actors in addition to just those written in the script will be easier to do on a smaller scale through a close reading. Thank you for writing about this movie and this topic. Good luck with your revisions!
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I think you have a great analysis of the film here and having never seen it, I am looking forward to watching it later in the semester. I like the fact that you tied in intersectionality and gender roles into your argument, I think that it really enhances your thesis statement. I would focus on summarizing the movie less and making more of a point to your argument and use small examples (this is something I struggled with on my blog too). Overall, very interesting to read!
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One thing that you could mention is the fact that a cisgender man is playing a transgender woman character, and how this aspect of production outside of the film itself contributes to the meaning that you are arguing.
You do a good job of examining the costuming, acting, and other formal elements of the film that contribute to this meaning. I also enjoyed reading the contrast between Lili and Gerda; I thought that was a good example of character analysis. Being more specific in your language would also contribute even greater to this analysis.
I think you could more explicitly address the nuance that comes with being a trans person because, though the film may be “problematic” for portraying Lili in this way, real trans women do have to present in a way that may seem reductive.
This is small, but I would double check your use of semicolons and overall grammatical aspects of the piece. Additionally, if there is a way to make your images bigger on the page, I would do so. If you can’t, no worries!
Also, I understand what you mean when you say the “beginning” of the trans movement in the opening of your piece—perhaps this would be a good place to hyperlink to a history of trans activism.
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I like how you chose to criticize the film rather than praising it. Great analysis of the mise-en-scene.
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I really like that this analytical post takes on the tone of a review; great, valid critiques of the film! I think that you could add a small connection to Freudian ideas about sex/gender identification just to add more commentary on how film reinforces these ideas. Great work!
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I like your analysis of this film and how you look at aspects that are problematic in it. I may have just missed it when reading your post and looking back at it but I was only able to see a small piece at the end when you talked about mise-en-scene. Maybe you should look into talking more about this with one of the moments you have already talked about in you’re post since it seems to be important to your analysis of the film due to you mentioning it right at the end of the post. Leaving your reader with the idea that mise-en-scene is an important aspect that you looked at.
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I really like the argument you are making here. When I heard about this film, I was worried that it might rely on gender roles and stereotypes to examine the characters. Your argument is logical and makes sense to me even though I’ve never seen the film. The only thing I would suggest is using some of the terminology you use in your conclusion throughout the essay. For example, I would use mis-en-scene earlier in the paper when you’re giving those examples. Good luck!
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This was a really fascinating analysis to read, even for a movie I have not yet seen myself. The criticism you present for the movie’s portrayal of a Lili is a topic I have often debated myself. Often it seems as though by only celebrating the breaking of gender roles and stereotypes, it presents conflict with the true meaning of the movement as a whole. To produce a whole movie portraying the experiences of a trans woman, something that for so long was absent from cinema, and depict her only in traditionally feminine ways seems to be trading one set of stereotypes for another. But on the other hand, who are we to critique the representation of one trans woman’s experience? By stating that she doesn’t go far enough outside of the “feminine box” almost implies there is a correct way for a trans woman to act/dress/talk/etc. But maybe I am getting a little too far downtime rabbit hole now.
I appreciated the ways you incorporated elements such as costuming and position in the frame, but I feel as though there could have been more. That being said, speaking without seeing the movie makes me unknowledgeable about what you had to work with. But I can imagine that in such a complex and nuanced film, you may be able to find few more things to refer to.
Once again, great analysis. It really forced me to think about the choices made in the film. Just because a film is made representing a trans woman’s experiences does not automatically make it a good representation, and you made sure to give it a good look.
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I am unfamiliar to both the film and the representation/stereotypes behind Trans men and women, so I am going to try my best to express my concerns without offending anyone. After watching the film, Small Steps Big Strides I am having a hard time agreeing with the representation being a bad thing. I agree that this might not be the best representation for all trans people, yet this might hit home with some during this time period and maybe even those today. I understand the concept of these people having their identities and having the wrong physical attributes, but I believe, and I could totally be wrong, that some people feel more like themselves and are able to express themselves more accurately after transitioning. That isn’t to say that your argument isn’t valid at all and you mentioned some very interesting points, but I think this might be a stronger case if you were able to explore the other side and relate this to time periods. And this may be considering that in some cases people can decide to eliminate their past selves or embrace it, I think that it’s important for these people to recognize that they have the option to evolve or not. This is just how any person at all grows and learns new things that allows them to evolve as individuals, and that might be what this character is doing. I again am not familiar with any of the current or past issues with trans people or even the film, but that might be important to consider when analyzing a film that represents a certain time period. Also I fully appreciated the gender role argument. That was very strong and I think you should definitely delve deeper into that concept. I want to hear more about the emotions behind the character Gerda and how her character evolved into a more masculine role due to Lili’s transformation.
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I really like the way in which you develop your argument. I like that you start with the big picture, that being the depiction of Lili in the film, and then progressively move into pointing out flaws in specific aspects of the film, like the mise en scene. I might recommend adding a short description of who the characters are, because this isn’t a film that we’ve watched in class yet so it’s not exactly clear. I would also suggest clarifying what your thesis statement is. You make a strong argument but on first read, it’s hard to tell exactly where the argument begins.
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“It seems that the second men’s clothes are traded for women’s, the whole character dynamic changes and power becomes inappropriate. Moreover, a job becomes inappropriate and the only thing that seems allowed is to look good, listen, and stay at home.”
I think this was the most insightful passage from your post due to the acknowledgement of not only the patriarchy dynamic at play but also the way that the film shoves trans folk into the same categories that are detrimental to cis-gendered folk. I have not seen this film yet so please forgive me if I am wrong with the following comments. Instead of using this film to break down the roles that we so often put men and women into, they simply threw a trans character into what is seemingly a typical Hollywood rom-com. I think that fixing the hyperlink and making the photos bigger would be my only improvement comments. You provided excellent insight and research into the post! Easily read, easily understood.
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I like your overall analysis of the film, something I am definitely look forward to watching. The idea of killing off the other identity is very interesting and I am looking forward to further discuss transgender issues and identities. Overall, I think adding some hyperlinks and some transgender information would be helpful! Nice blog!
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Very insightful analysis of the film. I appreciated your summary of parts of the film, and the arguments you made made sense to me even though I haven’t viewed this film yet. If you could find a way to fit it into your thesis, I think it would also be interesting to explore that the transgender woman who is the main character of the film is played by Eddie Redmayne, a cisgender man. Especially in an industry where roles for transgender people are limited, this choice to me seems to be a poor one. I would also include more hyperlinks in your revisions! But other than that, great job!
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