Product Description

Starring renowned actress, Diana Rigg , this stunning adaptation of Ibsen’s groundbreaking play tells the story of an ambitious woman trapped in the stifling environment of a 19th Century marriage.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #24404 in DVD
• Brand: KOCH ENT.
• Released on: 2007-07-17
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 78 minutes

Features

• Diana Rigg stars in this stunning production of Henrik Ibsen's Hedda Gabler, adapted by John Osborne and also starring Kathleen Byron, Alan Dobie and Denis Lill. Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION Rating: NR Age: 741952646396 UPC: 741952646396 Manufacturer No: KOC-DV6463

Amazon.com
The story of a 19th century woman who feels trapped in her marriage and overwhelmed by her own powerlessness, this 1981 television adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's play focuses on the interpersonal relationships of the newly married Hedda Gabler (Diana Rigg). Hedda returns from a lavish, extended honeymoon feeling out-of-sorts and yearning for stimulation. Instead, she encounters a dull life of ailing relatives, few social encounters, and day-to-day life in a house she never particularly liked with a husband whom she finds rather boring. The promise of excitement lures as Hedda, ex-heart-throb Eilert Lovborg (Philip Bond), school acquaintance Thea Elvsted (Elizabeth Bell), and local Judge Brack (Alan Dobie) are thrown together and begin to interact in an increasingly complicated and very personal manner. All is kept secret from Hedda's husband George Desmond (Denis Lill) and Hedda is initially exuberant and energized as a result of her new relationships, but she quickly comes to realize that she is not nearly as in control of the situation as she had imagined and, in the end, her sense of despair at her own powerlessness profoundly affects her future and the futures of those closest to her. Presented in four acts, this British production features talented actors and an effective combination of period costuming, sparse music, and simple photography. --Tami Horiuchi

Customer Reviews

Excellent -- when I could hear it --
I enjoy Henrik Ibsen as much as the next well-read individual. Diana Rigg is fantastic as the doomed, melancholy Hedda. Unfortunately this DVD transfer had very poor sound quality -- my hearing is perfectly fine but I found myself turning up the volume to record levels just to make out the basics of the dialogue. It was particularly unpleasant when any of the men spoke because their booming voices carried TOO loudly. Diana Rigg herself (for whatever reason) was almost impossible to hear most of the time.

What exacerbates the issue here is that there was NO CLOSED-CAPTIONING option on the DVD, and in this day and age, I would think every DVD released on the market would have them.

Good adaptation of Ibsen's play
Hedda Gabler is one of the most fascinating (and finally enigmatic) characters in the Theatre. As the embodiment of a lifeforce derailed by vulgarity and tediousness, she is a smarter, and therefore more tragic, Madame Bovary. There is a yearning in Hedda for beauty, for a freer life, for living adventurously... and yet she dares not to do so, and can find release only in destruction. It is a pleasure to see Diana Rigg in anything, and more in this iconic role. Her portrayal of Hedda is one of devastating grief and missed opportunities hardening into a despairing existential malevolence. It's a daring way to play it, including some lesbian overtones, reinforced by the fact that she shows no real love for the men around her, but rather she would have liked to live like one. Ingrid Bergman's portrayal of Hedda, also available in DVD, is a must see too for another stunning take on this character.

"Hedda Gabler (1981)... Diana Rigg ... Koch Vision (2007)"
Koch Vision present "HEDDA GABLER" (1981) (78 mins/Color) (Dolby Digital) --- Henrik Ibsen's classic play "HEDDA GABLER" is brought to the screen in this adaptation, which was originally made for television --- The stunning adaptation of Ibsens groundbreaking play that tells the story of an ambitious woman trapped in the stifling environment of a 19th century marriage, "HEDDA GABLER" features an ALL-Star cast that includes: 5-time Emmy Award Nominee, Diana Rigg plays Hedda with a strong supporting cast.

Under David Cunliffe (Director), Henrik Ibsen (Play Author), John Osborne (Screenwriter) - - - - the cast includes Diana Rigg, Kathleen Byron, Alan Dobie and Dennis Lill - - - - - - the story line and plot, Stuck in a loveless marriage to intellectual George Tesman (Denis Lill), the ambitious Hedda Gabler (Diana Rigg) hungers for a life her husband can't provide --- When a former flame, the successful Eilert (Philip Bond), enters the picture, violence and blackmail aren't far behind --- Diana Rigg is the manipulative Hedda, who will not or cannot conform to what society considers "normal" for a woman --- The arrival of an ex-lover on the scene gives her the opportunity to determine someone else's fate--but of course that is not what Ibsen was writing about --- in the adaptation by John Osborne.

Great job by Koch Vision --- looking forward to more high quality titles from the BBC Collection film market --- order your copy now from Amazon or Koch Vision where there are plenty of copies available on DVD, stay tuned once again for top notch releases --- where they are experts in releasing long forgotten films and treasures to the collector.

Total Time: 78 mins on DVD ~ Koch Vision KOCV6463 ~ (7/17/2007)