A Royal Affair (Nikolaj Arcel, 2012): Denmark / Sweden / Czech Republic

Reviewed by Whitney Murdy. Viewed on Nov. 5 at the AFI Fest 2012

A Royal Affair reels in the audience with the story of a sexy love affair between the Queen of Denmark and the personal physician of an insane King. This is very deceiving because layered beneath the facade of a romance overtone is the compelling and riveting story of a revolution and change in a nation.  Mikkel Boe Folsgaard plays Christian, King of Denmark, who is more jovial, spontaneous and dramatic than insane. He clearly does not love Caroline Mathilde, the Queen (Alicia Vikander), and appears to be a pawn in the Court. Enter the small town doctor hired as the king’s personal physician, Johann Struensee, played by the remarkable Mads Mkkelsen.

Any Jane Austen lover would not be a fan of this film if there were any expectations of a love triangle, because the relationships between each character would have a different effect on the nation.Struensee and Christian become good friends and Christian finally takes a stand in the Court to start making some rules for his country. Caroline and Johann have fallen for each other, sharing the same revolutionary ideals. The King is not seen as the Queen and physician’s pawn because he has ideas of his own, which he makes known to the court. Struensee, alone, could not lead the country into the Enlightenment; Caroline and Struensee, together, did not have the power; Christian and Caroline never got along; and Christian did not have enough knowledge on Voltaire’s ideals to lead, which left one last pairing. The friendship that continued in the face of death is both cause to turn away from the screen and also keep your eyes fixated on the scene. It is this war that engages the audience to root for the best possible outcome that will benefit each of the three main characters as well as help save the country of Denmark.

Nikolaj Arcel is careful not to get too caught up in the marvelous 18th century setting and costumes that has a tendency to overpower the mise-en-scene of period movies. After some time in the film, the wigs and eccentric outfits are hardly noticeable as it is more of a character driven movie. Based on the true story of the affair in Denmark, the film delicately skirts around supporting infidelity but shows the power of change for a nation with the right combination. Though A Royal Affair is set at a much earlier time, the story could not be more relevant today. The same problems that were there then, still ring true in politics, religion, and society today. It is the perfect example of a gripping film with friendship, love, betrayal and ultimately an implicit story that carries on for years to come.