REVIEW of Planet Ibsen

Directed by Jonathan Wyche and featuring a talented and versatile cast, PLANET IBSEN uses the contentious relationship between playwright Henrik Ibsen and writer August Strindberg as its jumping-off point. The two men never met, but Ibsen's 1879 play ‘The Doll's House’ had a strong negative impact on Strindberg, who felt it was based on his life and the people in it, and that Ibsen had it all wrong. Several years later he retaliated by writing an attack on Ibesen in the form of a short story collection (Giftas). In Planet Ibsen, Strindberg finds himself as a character in the play, albeit one who is not seen or heard. As key scenes in the play are acted out, the two writers argue about marriage, social mores, writing and plagiarism. Strindberg attempts to draw parallels between characters in the play and people in his life, and accuses Ibsen of ruining his marriage and ultimately his life. Convinced that "Nora" is based on his wife Siri, Strindberg attempts to convince her to behave like a respectful, traditional wife, proving himself to be exactly the type of character that Ibsen criticized in his plays. Visually and intellectually intriguing, this spiraling story keeps the viewer engaged, as literature, history and speculation merge.

Jacqueline Spafford (http://www.edhat.com/sbfilm/onemovie.cfm?onetitle=Planet%20Ibsen%20%20)