Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen (1891): A Review
Author: Henrik Ibsen
Publication Year: 1891
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Pages: 144
Source: ebook & audiobook @storytel.tr
Genre: drama, literary realism
From the very beginning, this play immerses the reader in a bleak and unsettling atmosphere. Every character evokes a sense of dislike, yet this emotional response is a testament to the power of Ibsen's writing. The work is suffused with darkness and morbidity, presented in a way that is both captivating and repellent. The play’s ability to provoke such strong feelings is what elevates it to the level of a classic masterpiece.
The play revolves around a cast of deeply flawed, morally ambiguous middle-class individuals. There is an academic struggling for a tenure-track position after publishing a mediocre book (who would have thought it a universal struggle that resonates across time). His wife, driven by a fear of boredom and an absence of joy, emerges as the most antagonistic character, displaying cruelty and bullying tendencies. Alongside them are a rival academic who experiences both success and downfall, a judge whose meanness surpasses all others, and a woman entangled in endless love triangles. These characters, with their intertwined ambitions and failures, propel a plot that is as compelling as it is discomforting.
Ultimately, the play is a tragedy from start to finish, with its most devastating moments left unspoken at the end. While there are occasional flashes of humor, the atmosphere remains deeply serious, befitting a classic work. My interest in reading the play stemmed from a desire to watch its new film adaptation. For the adaptation to succeed, it must evoke the same strong feelings of dislike toward the characters; if it fails to do so, it will have missed the essence of the original.
Therefore, having read the play, I came to the movie adaptation with high expectations for fidelity to both the plot and the depth of character development. Unfortunately, the film fell short by relying too heavily on direct quotations rather than truly capturing Ibsen's version. While it might have been a decent film for someone unfamiliar with the source material, it failed to deliver the powerful impact of the play for me. Additionally, I was disappointed by the decision to update the setting, moving away from Kristiania, Norway, in the 1890s to an unspecified, almost modern context of England in the 1950s with some Virginia Woolf vibes, which diminished the essence of the original play. As a result, I can only rate the adaptation ⭐⭐⭐.
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