“A Royal Affair” by Nikolaj Arcel recounts the greatest scandal of 18th century Denmark when the personal physician of mad king Christian VII seduced his queen and with her plotted to bring revolutionary reforms to the tiny state.
The film is one of 18 vying for the event’s Golden Bear top prize to be awarded today by the jury president, British director Mike Leigh, and drew the most enthusiastic applause to date in the competition.
Arcel said the story, in which some see the roots of Denmark’s progressive social welfare state and an antecedent to the French Revolution, was common knowledge to Danes but that he was amazed it had never been brought to the big screen.
He told reporters he was inspired to recreate the lush production of the best British costume dramas but was interested in making more than a standard bodice-ripper.
“I think this is very much a tribute to the ideas of the Enlightenment,” Arcel said.
“This occurs in the context of revolutionary things happening throughout Europe in this period and so I thought it was interesting that in a small way we in Denmark also had a tiny intellectual revolution.”
Fellow Dane Lars von Trier served as an executive producer and screenplay advisor on the film and Arcel said the “Melancholia” director helped him work through a few kinks in the narrative.
Mikkelsen, 46, best known to international audiences for his turn as Le Chiffre in 2006’s “Casino Royale”, plays the king’s German doctor Johann Friedrich Struensee who wins the infantile Christian’s trust and displaces the rest of his inner circle with his bravado and charisma.
Struensee also attracts the interest of the English-born queen Caroline Mathilde, who suffers from her husband’s violent mood swings and frequent brothel visits. He lends her a book by Voltaire and a love affair quickly ensues.
Knowing Struensee’s influence over the king, the couple join forces to convince him to put an end to the most brutal practices of the feudal system, allow freedom of the press, abolish torture and establish basic services for the poor.
In doing so, they enrage the aristocracy and the Church establishment, which plot to expose their affair and depose the unstable king. Meanwhile Struensee begins to compromise some of his principles to ensure his hold on power.
“In my eyes he’s an idealist... and all of the sudden he gets this chance to climb the social ladder maybe and there he is,” Mikkelsen said.
“Why should other people whisper in the king’s ear if he has better things to whisper? His weaknesses are very clear and I really liked that about him.”
The Berlinale, the first major European film festival of the year, wraps up tomorrow. – AFP
