This movie is based on a true story. It was on many Best 10 Foreign Film lists of 2012 and for good reasons. I wanted to see it last year but it left the theaters too quickly.
The story takes place in the late 1700’s (around the time of the American Revolution). The Enlightenment is about to come to Denmark, stemming from the writings of Voltaire and Rousseau. These ideas eventually form the basis for the French Revolution.
The beautiful Caroline Mathilde (Alicia Vikander) has an arranged marriage to the King of Denmark ( King Christian-VII-Mikkel Folsgaard). Unfortunately for her, he is a real dud, who is infantile, socially inept, and has severe anger management problems. After only a few days, she hates his guts.
The Court hopes a physician can cure the King so they hire Dr. Johann Struensee (Mads Mikkelsen) to be the King’s personal physician. Struensee brings the Enlightenment ideas to Denmark.
The King and Struensee get along well and the King starts behaving better. The King then requests that Struensee become Caroline’s personal physician too, since she’s “no fun”.
Sparks fly between Caroline and Johann and eventually the inevitable happens. Caroline is also taken by Struensee’s ideas and both use their influence with the King to make politically radical changes in Denmark, which alarms the nobility.
Can Caroline and Johann keep their affair a secret and if they are discovered what will happen to them? See it and find out!
Another terrific aspect of the film is that the cinematography (Rasmus Videbaek) is spectacular! (The costumes and sets are first rate too.)
Rating 8.25- (Top 10 Foreign Film in 2012).
Dave
