What is fair manner to explore, on screen, the life of Hans Christian Andersen ?
The often way was to adaptate his fairy tales. But, always, in final, excepting, maybe, the very early audience, it is not just enough.
This film represents only a meritous try to offer , in embroidery of fictional details and real facts , a cruel pedagogic metod and a special form of friendship, memories of a venerable man , confessed to a young servant, the essence of a lonely life , near to schyzoid reactions, in which cruelty, friendship, profound innocence, assumation of a way, self discover, grief, intolerance and dreams are honest used .
But the virtue is represented by performances. And by beautiful work of Simon Dahl Thaulow, especially.
I admitt, I appreciate very much Hans Christian Andersen from early age . So, this film, for me, it is easy defined not exactly as portrait but interesting drawing of the roots of a man who, entire life, worked to be accepted by others but, especialy, remaining himself.