Thoughts on the Danish Girl

[pretty pauline]

I went to see the movie yesterday with my hubby, very powerful acting, regarding a cis person acting in the role of a trans person is never an issue with me, after all John Wayne played the role of a cowboy, but in real life he wasn't a cowboy.
I cried at the end, very sad ending, surgery really was in it's infancy in the 1930s, Lili is a role model for generations that came after her, I could really relate to her, I had my surgery in 1985, things have moved further on into the 21st century, in spite of some inaccuracies in the movie (after all it is Holywood) it was a great movie, well made, might make more people understand the pain that trans people go thru, I was also glad I went to see the movie with my husband.

[Tessa James]

I read the book and can wait till the movie hits the small screen.  I cried many times at the magnitude of their public change and their private dramas.  The book, perhaps, features more of their perspectives as a couple.  Like my own spouse I am hugely impressed by a love that allows and provides for creativity and meaningful support.

So nice to know more about our shared history too.

[Serenation]

[spoilers]

I thought overall it was worth a watch but It seemed to be very focused on clothing which seemed a bit odd to me and there is a point in the movie were they say she is an intersex person but it is never mentioned again and they don't go anywhere with that. I really don't know why that was in the movie. The other thing I didn't really like was how Lili was treated as a different person or personality.

The good, Eddie Redmayne is a great actor, back when everyone was complaining about him getting the role I thought he'd do great. Was impressive to see him hold those female facial expressions, I was crushing on Matthias Schoenaerts most of the movie.As someone who has been through the surgery thing when Lili was crying alone at the hospital beforehand, that was really touching and I felt the same way in hospital. It's hard to explain that moment in life.

The sets and costumes and cinematography were all great.

[Arch]

Shouldn't "Man into woman" be available somewehere in the public domain? It was published in 1933!

Not in the U.S.; a work has to have been published in 1922 or earlier to be automatically out of copyright.

I have an ancient paperback copy, but I still haven't read it. I don't think it's likely to be a very good book...

[BirlPower]

I've not seen it yet but hope to soon. Anything that raises awareness in a way that is mostly positive is surely a good thing and this film does seem to be getting mostly good things said about it. I'm looking forward to seeing it and hope my wife will get something from it.

At the risk of hijacking the thread, has anyone seen "Different for girls" starring Rupert Graves and Steven Mackintosh? I first saw this many years ago, before I'd figured any of this out and thought it was one of the loveliest films I've ever seen. Made in 1997. It's about a trans girls meeting an old school friend years after school and her transition is complete and how their friendship develops as they become friends again. Also has a beautiful performance from Mirriam Margolees as a minor but important character. It leaves me feeling great about the world every time I watch it. It can be had on <insert large internet retailer of that sort of stuff>. Couldn't recommend it highly enough.

Just checked the back of the DVD cover and apparently it won the best film award at the montreal world filn festival in 1996.

[Frae]

I haven't seen The Danish girl yet but I have seen Different for girls and I think it highlights the problem with cis actors playing trans roles.

I saw it like... 6-7 years ago? I was a lot younger and a lot more closeted and I really enjoyed it! The main role was so pretty! It could happen! She passes so well!

So I raced of to I.M.D.B to look up who this wonder trans woman was, was she in other movies? Had she played cis roles and I just never knew or noticed because she passed so well?

and it was Steven Machintosh. Winston from lock stock. Just chill winston. I was heart broken. I had been fooled by Hollywood special effects.

I've hated cis people playing trans characters ever since.

[Laura_7]

I know I've seen my mother in tears numerous times begging me not to take her son away.  Objectively its not what's happening, but it's a whole different perspective when you aren't the one transitioning.

Some people make a comparison with a twin.

They will be like their male/female twin, with still the same sense of humour.

So some parts might change but some parts might remain.

This might be a concept people can understand.


hugs

[AmandaDanielle]

OMG. I finished Lili, A portrait of the First Sex Change on a business flight to Louisville. I was stoic to say the least. It did not help knowing how the book ended but as chapters breezed by nearing the end i couldn't help but be moved. I identified so much with Lili and her feelings. I felt what she felt.... her emotions were my own. Her diary entries were an inspiration as much as they were enlightening to me. My emotions spilled over and out, even in guy mode, i struggled to hide them and wipe the tears away before they were noticed. I was messed up for two days sorting out my thoughts.

I love the way the book was written and the poignant and poetic ending just spoke volumes to me. If i ever i doubted the legitimacy of my being trans... the feelings that this book evoked within me could not be denied. It just reinforced my resolve and i believe wholeheartedly that every MtF should read this book. Such a small price to pay for such an inspiration.

I can only hope that my story will be as influential to other as Lili's!

Just this girls opinion!! xoxoxo -A

[BeverlyAnn]

OMG. I finished Lili, A portrait of the First Sex Change on a business flight to Louisville. I was stoic to say the least. It did not help knowing how the book ended but as chapters breezed by nearing the end i couldn't help but be moved. I identified so much with Lili and her feelings. I felt what she felt.... her emotions were my own. Her diary entries were an inspiration as much as they were enlightening to me. My emotions spilled over and out, even in guy mode, i struggled to hide them and wipe the tears away before they were noticed. I was messed up for two days sorting out my thoughts.

I love the way the book was written and the poignant and poetic ending just spoke volumes to me. If i ever i doubted the legitimacy of my being trans... the feelings that this book evoked within me could not be denied. It just reinforced my resolve and i believe wholeheartedly that every MtF should read this book. Such a small price to pay for such an inspiration.

I can only hope that my story will be as influential to other as Lili's!

Just this girls opinion!! xoxoxo -A

My wife just finished it.  Of course she didn't have the emotional reaction to it that you did.  She did find it interesting, though.  I'll have to read it when I get through with what I'm reading now.

[Allie Keenan]

I thought The Film was Really good .. Very Emotional for me personally, and i could relate in so many ways,  im just glad the help is there now and the straight Jackets have long gone! After reading some of the comments i think i need to read the book now tho .. I didnt realise she went for more operations including transplants! very Interesting.

[saraht123]

Did anyone else find the movie quite worrying/harrowing/anxiety provoking?

I mean, I could see quite a lot of myself in Lili. Then she gets tortured by a psychiatrist, she gets beaten up, her marriage seems to breakdown, then she goes on to have very painful surgeries and dies. I'm not not sure she really found happiness along the way?

I kind of left feeling a bit downbeat and vaguely hoping the movie wasn't in some way predictive of my future.

Other than that, I thought the acting, sets, costumes etc were amazing. Would be good if a trans-woman could be cast for a similar role, but Eddie Redmayne does a good job.

[Serverlan]

The Danish Girl director Tom Hooper calls for equality for transgender actors, defends casting of Eddie Redmayne as Lili
Elbehttp://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-19/danish-girl-director-tom-hooper-calls-for-transgender-equality/7073640

[Adena]

OMG. I finished Lili, A portrait of the First Sex Change on a business flight to Louisville. I was stoic to say the least. It did not help knowing how the book ended but as chapters breezed by nearing the end i couldn't help but be moved. I identified so much with Lili and her feelings. I felt what she felt.... her emotions were my own. Her diary entries were an inspiration as much as they were enlightening to me. My emotions spilled over and out, even in guy mode, i struggled to hide them and wipe the tears away before they were noticed. I was messed up for two days sorting out my thoughts.

I love the way the book was written and the poignant and poetic ending just spoke volumes to me. If i ever i doubted the legitimacy of my being trans... the feelings that this book evoked within me could not be denied. It just reinforced my resolve and i believe wholeheartedly that every MtF should read this book. Such a small price to pay for such an inspiration.

I can only hope that my story will be as influential to other as Lili's!

Just this girls opinion!! xoxoxo -A

You convinced me  to read it! Is this the same book as is being sold now on Amazon as "The Danish Girl"?

[sparrow]

I watched the movie, and I was extremely moved by it... I spent about half of the time crying.  The only reason I watched the movie is a desire to know what trans-ignorant people are seeing: this was an educational film to most people.  In that, I was very disappointed.

First off, the factual inaccuracies regarding surgery.  My mom is already freaked out about this, and if she watches the movie, her panicky tendency will go into overdrive (not, as I've told her many times, that I'm even remotely interested in surgery... but she isn't the only mom in this position).  The movie portrays the relatively safe operation that dozens of surgeons perform every day as extremely risky... whereas the actual complication was organ rejection, which is still pretty risky.

Second, there were way too many trans tropes.  While some may be historically accurate, there isn't just a single story to tell, and I really dislike how Lili was portrayed: my principal complaint is that the movie repeats the "oh, you're transgender, so you must be gay now" trope.  Also, Gerda is almost unwaveringly supportive of Lili... Lili is supportive of Gerda's career in the first part of the movie, and then focuses entirely on herself and stops reciprocating that support altogether: once she discovers that she's transgender, there's no depth left to her character.

[BunnyBee]

I went in expecting to hate it. Ended up not hating it, but it's definitely a movie for and by cis people. A few things struck close to home though, to its credit.

I very much disagree with productions making money off of trans stories which exclude trans people from high level positions of input. It's exploitation imo.

[BeverlyAnn]

You convinced me  to read it! Is this the same book as is being sold now on Amazon as "The Danish Girl"?

No, The Danish Girl by David Ebershoff is the novel the movie is based on.  What AmandaDanielle was reading is Lili: A Portrait of the First Sex Change by Niels Hoyer which was put together in 1933 from Lili's journals and other writings plus I believe some things from people who knew them.

[Adena]

No, The Danish Girl by David Ebershoff is the novel the movie is based on.  What AmandaDanielle was reading is Lili: A Portrait of the First Sex Change by Niels Hoyer which was put together in 1933 from Lili's journals and other writings plus I believe some things from people who knew them.

Thank you! So that would be this one:  http://www.amazon.com/Lili-Portrait-First-Change-Woman-ebook/dp/B0196KQL6G

Apparently it is out of (paper) print but is available as an ebook through Kindle, is that right?
One of only 2 reviewers said it didn't download in readable format. But it's only $4 so I can give it a try.

[AmandaDanielle]

Thank you! So that would be this one:  http://www.amazon.com/Lili-Portrait-First-Change-Woman-ebook/dp/B0196KQL6G

Apparently it is out of (paper) print but is available as an ebook through Kindle, is that right?
One of only 2 reviewers said it didn't download in readable format. But it's only $4 so I can give it a try.

Yes, hun... I read it on my Kindle. You won't be disappointed!

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

[Jalynn]

Was glad to see Alicia Vikander get the critics choice for best supporting actress. I really luvd the movie and the cinematography was really special. The downside for me was how the 1st guy was on Lily like Pepé Le Pew and I didn't find it believable. I enjoyed seeing Matthias Schoenaerts come into the picture lol but the movie asked me to believe that Matthias couldn't tell it was Einer when he was dressed as Lily. Could be many reasons why I didn't find it totally believable. Maybe it was a little rushed or maybe it was only a half hour ago I saw lily first decide to try on a dress. Maybe it didn't seem to me like they made enough time pass within the movie for Einer to develop Lily into a passable woman. The more believable parts scared me. From the doctor that wanted to lock her away, the shock treatment and the bravery and pain to go through the surgeries. Even after the movie I was mortified when I read on this threat that they put a uterus in her. Also opened a deeper window to see the courage that some of the girls go through on here. It also scared me on how far I will go. 

[Janes Groove]

I very much disagree with productions making money off of trans stories which exclude trans people from high level positions of input. It's exploitation imo.

i agree. it seems like hollywood is blackballing transgender actors.  they are capitalizing on the titillating aspects of transgender life, cashing in on it for fat green while continuing to not see transgender people who are completely invisible to them and the movie going public.  are they thinking that the straight movie going public are afraid that the transgender will rub off on them and they will stay away from their movies?
at any rate hollywood has a long history of this which has been documented by the LGBT community with respect to gay people.

when i grew up all i saw on movies and tv were images of stereotypically, and not very attractive, effeminate men (like paul lynde and liberace) or as psychokillers (anthony hopkins in psycho or the mass murderer in silence of the lambs. Pychokillers especially, were often portrayed as cross dressers). there is a good book about it titled The Celluloid Closet by vito russo.