Production design / The Danish girl
Since the oscars has been the top hot topic currently, it seems such a not to talk about stunning beautifully-made movies that had been nominated this year. Besides the incredible fact that Leonardo DiCaprio (finally) won an oscars for best male actor, I have found another category interesting which is production design. It is fascinating to know that this kind of design is really important and influential to enhance the movies and also to make the scenes more engaging and realistic. In the oscars, there are five movies nominated, and Mad Max: Fury Road won the award. However, amongst the five nominees, The Danish Girl seems to interest me the most in terms of the content, costumes, actors and decorations etc.
The Danish Girl is about the two married painters, Gerda and Einar Wegener. This movie is based on a true story, showing Einar’s transition to a woman and how he had to struggle with the physical and emotional issues, also with the acceptance from others. The film took audience way back to the late 1920’s and the production designer, Eve Stewart, had done an fantastic job for bringing us back and feel like we are actually there with the characters.
Eve Stewart, the oscars-nominated production designer, has done a really good job setting up the scenes, it is basically a masterpiece. Her work is to take care of the visual elements of the film, to make it stick with the theme. According to the interview between Jezebel and Eve Stewart, this talented designer told us about how she came up with the theme colours and more. The research is really important when it comes to making a film alive and to engage with the audience, in order to make it look as realistic and alive as possible, Stewart did plenty of research about their lives of the character, since it is based on an actual event. 
Einar and Gerda’s art was a crucial influence. “The art was like going through the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland,” Stewart says. “That was the way into the design.” (Stewart’s interview for Architectural Digest)
To make it even more visually immersed, Eve Stewart went to the actual apartment two painters lived and actually shoot there. Further in the film, Eve said that the art by Einar and Gerda was really influential. She also made the Gerda’s art of Einar dressing like a woman to show how Einar was as a woman. The whole movie is basically about Einar’s journey as a transgender and Stewart had done a great, fantastic job telling the story. Also, throughout movie, not only the actors’ brilliant performances that make me believe in story but also the production designer that bring me into it and feel attached to the film.
Overall, this movie includes plenty of good shots and performance. Additionally, I have found how powerful and influential the production design can be to a film. To get into details of what the designers do to make the movie best, it is fascinating that these little details, such as clothing, colours, and locations, these can make the whole thing a lot better.
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