A dolls house (Sir Anthony Hopkins) avi

Program note: Optional French and Spanish DivX subtitles
This is a movie based on the play by the great Norwegian playwright Mr. Henrik Ibsen.
It holds particular meaning for me as it is one of my most favorite plays and in fact I had the occasion to play the leading role in a production while at University in Drama class during a summer many years ago now. In addition to playing Torvald, I was asked to write an alternate ending to the play which we acted out for an added impression for those involved in our production.
It needs to be noted that the casting for this offering is somewhat less than ideally suited for the material. there are other renditions (in fact Jane Fonda has also played Nora in this movie role in a different production in fact) that have actors picked who perhaps better convey the clash between the personalities and world view of those involved.
Specifically Anthony Hopkins is less than altogether impressive in being an a austere overbearing personality obsessed with convention and the observance of all the moral codes that are implicit to such a mindset. there is a beauracratic enough bent to bring out in the character perhaps, however it lacks the adequate contrast to the character of Nora to make the point. Quite the contrary n fact as Nora is equally poorly picked in that Claire Bloom has the role here instead of a younger in spirit, more idealistic and vibrant in outlook of an optimistic younger woman, not already reconciled to the ways of the world, where they differ from what would otherwise be intuitive wisdom to such a person instead.
This is more of a British adaptation as it were, and Denholm Elliot in his role also sports a British accent in his role in this movie as a notorious lawyer type.
The movie is about blackmail that arises from a situation where there is al l the reason to belive that inappropriate standards of conduct based on conventional morality would be applied against a well meaning person. It brings out a clash of values in this regard, and it points out that there are often much higher standards to which to hold someone than what is in fact a "legal position" on the matter, especially for those that are direct beneficieries of well meaning individuals who stand up for them using whatever means are needed to bring about the right outcome. It is therefore an argument that we should do the right thing morally, and stand by others who do the same, regardless of what the rules may say instead. or the law for that matter. the underling good versus evil dispositions on the matter are brought out in the pursuing debate.
Its not the best version of this play being presented in this movie for reasons of casting decisions that were made, on the other hand, for fans of Hopkins, this is a movie you couldn't afford to miss. Likewise for Ibsen fans, its worth having more than one view of how the play may be acted out on screen.
Michael Chessman September, 2008
640 X 480 DivX nice picture, older movie