Screened in competition at the Berlinale (where it won awards for Best Script and Best Supporting Actor) this vigorous historical epic is set in 18th century Denmark at the court of the psychologically unstable King Christian VII, and is based on a remarkable true story.
Raised in England, Caroline Mathilda (a luminous Alicia Vikander) is sent to Denmark to be married to King Christian whilst still in her teens. He’s capricious, promiscuous, and occasionally cruel, but before long it becomes clear he’s actually mentally ill. When German advisor Johann Struensee (Mads Mikkelsen – Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky) arrives to help him control his affairs, Caroline is taken with Struensee’s wisdom and Enlightenment thinking and before long, they fall deeply in love. Realising that with his power over the insane King they have a real opportunity to influence their country, they begin to think of ways in which they can reform Denmark for the better.
Years in the making, you can see the evidence in the depth of the characterisation, the sumptuous production values which lend this well-crafted film a rich and satisfying feel, and in its lucid, intelligent retelling of one of Europe’s most extraordinary royal stories.
