Nia DaCosta‘s reimagining of Henrik Ibsen‘s “Hedda Gabler” is set in the present, and among mostly white “swells” (a term that absolutely no one uses these days), and is sorta kinda lezzy as far as Tessa Thompson‘s titular character is concerned.
In 1891 Ibsen’s Gabler was newly married and bored, trapped in a flush marriage and a house that she didn’t want. In DaCosta’s film Nina Hoss‘s supporting character, Eileen Lovborg, is Hedda’s object of desire.
Woked-up Hedda was shot in early ’24, an eon ago in cultural terms, but the progressive feminist ethos (i.e., almost all men are dull, oppressive shits and women need to be free to muff-dive) has since turned and the wealthy sapphic thing….well, okay but right now girl-on-girl action isn’t as exciting and crackling-with-possibility, social-signpost-wise, as it seemed to be when droolin’ Joe Biden was president. Wokeys are in retreat, searching for tall grass…everyone hates them now. Life never stands still…a constantly moving train.
DaCosta did her career no favors with 2023’s The Marvels, but we all need to re-invent ourselves from time to time.
Hedda premiered last night in Toronto. It will have a token theatrical release on 10.22, and will begin streaming on Amazon Prime Video a week later (10.29)
