What's it all About? It's a Danish period drama, but hear me out. Set in 18th century Denmark, English princess Caroline has been trained since birth to become Queen of Denmark, and looks forward to meeting her husband. She has heard that he is handsome and artistic, sharing her love of theatre and music. On arrival she finds King Christian VII to be a simpleton at best, a lunatic at worst. His tutor believes his problems to be minor, stemming from excessive masturbation. Caroline spends an uncomfortable night with Christian, but becomes pregant, which gives her an excuse to avoid his company. Christian, like a petulant child becomes angry and decides to leave on a year-long tour of Europe. On his travels, he acquires a new personal physician, German doctor Johann Struensee (Mads Mikkelsen). Struensee becomes adept at handling the volatile King, and quickly develops a very strong influence over him. He also hides strong democratic leanings, being a proponent of the Age of Enlightenment and admirer of Voltaire. As his control over Christian grows, so does his political power, putting democratic laws into the King's mouth, overthrowing the royal council, and eventually gaining law-making powers himself. At the same time, Struensee's relationship with Queen Caroline grows closer, as she finds herself falling in love with this fellow outsider with radical ideals. Their subsequent intoxication, on love and political power, inevitably leads to their tragic downfall.
Best bits? Alicia Vikander's delicate performance as Caroline, showing her struggling to reconcile her multiple roles as a wife, mother, and queen with her own personal desires as a woman, all in a foreign country that is both strange to her and necessarily close to her heart. Mad King Christian's excellent suggestions for new laws e.g. a day where all the court ladies must go around naked, or a motion to make his Great Dane hound an honorary council member.
Did it make you think thoughts? Definitely. On my cycle ride home my head was full of thoughts about benevolent tyranny, the rights of man, democracy, monarchy, fate, true love, the meaning of marriage (and royal marriage in particular), Mads Mikkelsen's lack of wig, and an overwhelming desire to learn more about Danish history. I also wanted to learn Danish. 'Day' seems to be the same as in English, so I'm on my way.
Would you watch it again? I knew nothing about this period in Danish history, and even if artistic licence was exercised, it still must have been an incredible time to be an ordinary citizen, revelling in new freedoms before turning on the very peple who had granted them to you. Mikkelsen's performance, showing a man who wants to do good before becoming corrupted by power, still chimes with us today. The cinematography, art direction and costumes were all beautiful, setting off the opulence of court starkly against the sheer filth and misery of the lives of indentured serfs. I look forward to adding it to my DVD collection, and only wish that it had been available for more people to see, rather than just those who live near an art house cinema.
Rating (out of 100%): Beautiful, fascinating and a bit with a dog - 90%
