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Nora, 1923
Director: Berthold Viertel
Notable cast: Olga Chekhova, Fritz Kortner
This adaptation is a silent film produced in 1923 in Germany. Nora is played by the famed silent actress Olga Chekhova, the niece of Anton Chekhov’s wife.
A Doll’s House, 1959
Director: George Schaefer
Notable cast: Christopher Plummer, Julie Harris
This live telecast adaptation preserves the three-act structure of the play and takes place entirely in the Helmer household. Minor detail and dialogue changes occur. The opening shot reveals a child’s doll while a simple, cheery tune about a home and wife plays.
A Doll’s House, 1973
Director: Joseph Losey
Notable cast: Jane Fonda
One of two adaptations of the film produced in 1973, this version adds new scenes, dialogue, and locations to the original play. The audience sees much of the Helmer household, rather than just the sitting room. The director also includes new scenes of background information at the beginning of the film, such as the friendship between Mrs. Linde and Nora when they were younger, the romance of Krogstad and Mrs. Linde, Torvald’s illness, and the death of Nora’s father. Some critics praised these fleshed out scenes, while others found they did not live up to the original source material. Fonda’s performance was generally praised as strong.
A Doll’s House, 1973
Director: Patrick Garland
Notable Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Claire Bloom
This adaptation remains quite faithful to the original play. Small changes include new outdoor scenery, a scene depicting the masked ball, and the meeting between Mrs. Linde and Krogstad taking place in Krogstad’s home rather than Nora’s.
A Doll’s House, 1992
Director: David Thacker
Notable cast: Juliet Stevenson
This adaptation first aired on the BBC in 1992 and later in the U.S. on PBS’s Masterpiece Theater. It was praised for exceptional acting, and the New York Times gave it a positive review for bringing an “ideological” translation of the play to film.
Sara, 1993
Director: Dariush Mehrjui
Notable cast: Niki Karimi
Sara is a modernized A Doll’s House set in Iran with characters speaking Persian. The movie was extremely well-received by critics, winning several awards, and Karimi won Best Actress at the Fajer Film Festival.
