Enchanted Revelries

We spent a lovely afternoon watching Ingrid Bergman in Henrik Ibsen's Hedda Gabler. I had never seen it before - and, frankly, didn't think that Ingrid was going to be strong enough to play Hedda; she always seems a bit timid and wary in her roles. And, of course, Hedda is a real warrior in a corset!

Well, she is wonderful. Very distant and cold - and passionate when required. The screenplay is quite good. It's been edited to be used as a BBC television play. But they didn't cut that much from it - and, luckily, didn't add anything. I've never had much patience with people who try to "write" classic writers. It never works for me.

The costumes and settings in this were also quite nice - not as elaborate as the BBC movies created now (this was made in the early 1960's) - but still beautiful. There were many wonderful details in the set decoration, especially the desk and it's assorted pens, papers, ink wells, notebooks, ledgers, etc.

If you have never seen Hedda Gabler, I would recommend Cherry Jones' version over this one. However, if you're an Ibsen fan, and enjoy seeing different versions, this is definitely a good choice for a snowy wintery Sunday afternoon!