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Jennifer Smith

Professor Leeman

THEA 3040.031

February 10, 2020

Review: A Doll’s House

Playwright: Henrick Ibsen

Director: Joseph Losey

Nora: Jane Fonda

Torvald: David Warner

Director: Patrick Garland

Nora: Claire Bloom

Torvald: Anthony Hopkins

Director: David Thacker

Nora: Juliet Stevenson

Torvald: Trevor Eve

A Doll’s House is an important play because it explores the role of women in society

during that time period and broke the mold of the “well-made play” because Nora, the main

character, leaves her husband in the end. Nora is a “doll” that her husband uses and abuses. This

idea is explored in the play within Nora’s characterization and actions. Henrick Ibsen was a

realism playwright famous for well-made plays and melodramas. He has also written Hedda

Gabler, The Master Builder, and Ghosts. A Doll’s House directed by Joseph Losey did not do

justice to the play due to the casting of its main characters Nora and Torvald. Prior to seeing this
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film, I expected to see a dramatic play with obnoxious characters and tense moments. I am an

actor and have been to several outstanding plays and feel confident that I have a good grasp on

what makes a good show. In contrast, Patrick Garland’s version of A Doll’s House stayed closer

to the intent of the playwright and expanded on the ideas established in Ibsen’s original work.

The relationship between Torvald and Nora is stereotypical of the time. Nora is a silly

housewife that only cares about money and frivolous things. Torvald often scolds her for the

money she spends but also taunts her with more money. He calls her, “an expensive pet…for

man to keep.” This relationship between man and wife of the time is what Losey focuses on. His

characters fail to establish this idea effectively in the film. Nora is written as an annoying

obnoxious character at the beginning of the play. She bends over backward to amuse her husband

and allows him to talk down to her and call her pet names. This is used to establish the idea that

she is a plaything, or a doll, for her husband. Jane Fonda does not commit to the silly acts she

was written to perform for her husband and her behavior is confusing. It doesn’t clearly establish

who Nora is. This is also seen in the direction. The quirky actions Nora commits are few and far

between. The audience doesn’t see Nora go on a journey and change into a new woman. In

contrast, in Patrick Garland’s version, Nora is staged sitting on Torvald’s lap. Torvald holds the

money up to her as she reaches for it and enthusiastically counts it as he watches. She even plays

with her nose and makes high pitched noises in amusement. Torvald enjoys this moment and the

audience can see a sinister side to his relationship with Nora. This direction and these actors very

easily establish the true relationship between Torvald and Nora. In Garland’s version, he also

adds some domestic violence to the film. Torvald slaps Nora and it allows her characters change

to make even more sense. The slap was almost a wake-up call for Nora. It also adds a nice
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contrast to the sudden calm Torvald experiences after seeing the Krogstad is not longer

blackmailing Nora.

Overall, this production did not contribute much to my understanding of the play and

theatre in general. The characters were not dramatized enough to convey the story. In my

opinion, Patrick Garland’s version told the story the best. Claire Bloom is very animated in her

portrayal of Nora. She commits to the idea that Nora is a plaything for her husband’s amusement

and grows throughout the film into a more reserved and strong woman. This is evident in the last

scene as she shows much less emotion and a strong front when confronting her husband. She

seems disappointed in him but content in her decision. Anthony Hopkins as Torvald is more

reserved and seems more betrayed by Nora’s decision. He does the unexpected and holds his

emotions in and it allows his emotional moments to be more impactful as they are more

surprising. In David Thacker’s version, Nora is more frazzled in the last scene. Juliet Stevenson

portrays Nora as if she has just discovered this idea is, not one that she has realized throughout

the play. Torvald, portrayed by Trevor Eve is much more emotional and it seems harder to see

why Nora can’t see that Torvald could change for her. I will say, I admire how she seems

idealistic and hopeful about her new future. In Losey’s version, the last scene is very boring.

Torvald, played by David Warner, does not show emotion correctly. Even his yelling seems to

lack passion. There is no true tension felt between the two in the last scene and it lacks impact.

Jane Fonda plays Nora as very boring in this last scene and she doesn’t give Warner much to

work with either. I feel that Losey did not direct his actors correctly in order to push them to

make the final scene great. Overall, Anthony Hopkin’s portrays the best Torvald in his inability

to accept the woman Nora has become. He remains cold and conniving in the last scene,
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oblivious to the concerns Nora has. His attempts to control her are expertly diverted by Claire

Bloom. The two play off of each other very well.

In conclusion, I do not recommend Losey’s version of A Doll’s House. Fonda and Warner

do not do justice to the masterfully crafted characters of Nora and Torvald. They lack emotion in

even the most dramatic final scene and other versions, such as Thacker’s and Garland’s, are

much more effective in displaying the true nature of Ibsen’s characters. A Doll’s House is an

important play that expanded on the idea of the role of women in the household and the depth

that women can possess. When produced correctly, it can be interesting to watch and

heartbreaking to witness the life of a woman during that time period.

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Garland, Patrick, director. A Doll's House. A Doll's House, last scene, 1973, www.youtube.com/

watch?time_continue=819&v=TMa0ZARfZBM&feature=emb_title.

Ibsen, Henrik, and Nicholas Rudall. A Doll's House. Chicago: I. R. Dee, 1999.

Losey, Joseph. Henrik Ibsen's "a Doll's House". , 1973. Internet resource.

Thacker, David, director. A Doll's House. A Doll's House Final Scene, 2016, www.youtube.com/

watch?v=4GWNXrcxsoM&feature=emb_title.