THE STORY – Newly-wed and precariously dissatisfied with life, Hedda, the gun-loving daughter of the late General Gabler, has convinced her husband George, a timid but ambitious scholar, to throw a lavish party the couple cannot afford. On the teeming guest list is Eileen Lovborg, a celebrated author of a book exploring sexuality, and George’s key rival for a coveted academic post. Hedda sees the guests as pawns in an elaborate game she plans to orchestrate with ruthless precision.
THE CAST – Tessa Thompson, Nina Hoss, Imogen Poots, Nicholas Pinnock, & Tom Bateman
THE TEAM – Nia DaCosta (Director & Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 107 Minutes
You’re cordially invited to the social event of the year, but this shindig is anything but your mama’s party. In Nia DaCosta’s sultry period piece “Hedda,” debauchery is the guest of honor, along with backstabbing, sabotage, and a room full of current and ex-lovers. DaCosta’s reverence for the 19th-century play “Hedda Gabler” is on full display, with rich crafts and gorgeous cinematography, but she also has plenty of fun with her reimagining. At the core of this elegant film is a seductive and scornful lesbian love story that’s brought to life by powerhouse performers Tessa Thompson and Nina Hoss, who demand your attention up until the very end.
It’s the morning after an explosive party at Hedda (Thompson) and George (Tom Bateman) Tesman’s new home (for which they’ve gone deep into debt), and the police are on the grounds to investigate a shooting. In order to understand how these characters got to this point, DaCosta takes us all the way at the beginning before high emotions derailed this party. Hedda and her husband are showing off their new home and introducing themselves to society, but the lady of the house isn’t too enthused about any of it. She’s not made to be a housewife who cares about decorations. Instead, others are meant to quiver in her presence and be enchanted by her sheer beauty, elegance, and fierceness, all qualities that Thompson breathes and exudes in this role. This is a woman who knows what and who she wants at all times, and everyone is expected to bend to her.
As guests arrive, we see the force she has on them. There’s her husband, who begs her to behave; Judge Roland Brack (Nicholas Pinnock), an old friend who lent them money for the home and expects Hedda to repay him through certain means; Professor Greenwood (Finbar Lynch), whom George is trying to impress for a well-paying university job; and Thea Clifton (Imogen Poots), an old school friend involved with Hedda’s literary ex-lover Eileen Lovborg (Hoss). As much as Hedda is on everyone’s mind, she can’t stop thinking about and anticipating Eileen’s arrival, much like Jay Gatsby’s introduction in “The Great Gatsby” (this party also features beautiful costumes and production design). There’s a lot of history between these two, not all that great, but like anyone reuniting with an ex, Hedda is going to make sure she looks good and gets Eileen under her spell once again.
Once Eileen enters the picture, DaCosta really picks up the antics. Eileen’s arrival is exquisitely captured with a double dolly shot, literally making Hedda float to her. Thompson’s entranced face only makes us more captivated by her and this mystery woman, whom Hoss plays with such ferocity. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and watching these two former lovers stare each other down, try to keep their hands off one another, and spar with their words essentially becomes a diva-off. But when Eileen throws blows at Hedda, especially her relationship with Thea, and that she’s going after the same university job as George, the hostess gets to show off her sneaky party tricks. This is a role made for Thompson, who clearly revels in playing this bad girl living her best and messiest life. Equally as entertaining is seeing Eileen try not to lose her cool at the party, even though Hedda has her drinking again and exposing quite a bit of herself. Thea tries not to rip Hedda’s head off, as she’s the only one who can see this bully for what she is, and George tries to keep from exploding after seeing his wife in the middle of it all. Composer Hildur Guðnadóttir’s jazzy score quickly sours to something unpredictable and electrifying to amplify these emotions as well.
DaCosta’s flair and charm are found all over this film. Her biting and tongue-in-cheek screenplay is an absolute hit – characters love talking about Hedda’s insatiable appetite, how much she loves eating out at one point, and the former lovers share that they miss each other like an appendix. Bringing this classic late-1800s play to the 1950s also allows it to lose much of the “stuffiness” that may have kept people from the original material. But what makes the most impact is that, underneath all the madness, DaCosta makes these female characters so complex and enriching. They are firecrackers on the outside, but deep down, they’re all worried about their place in society and being viewed as second-best to men. We see this in particular with Hedda, who has decided to marry a man rather than live out a life with Eileen and doesn’t have much to show for it, and with Eileen, who has put her entire life’s work into a new book and will literally fall apart without it. It’s a welcome addition to the otherwise chaotic and toxic energy that is deliciously all over this film.
As the film enters its explosive finale, so much happens that some of it threatens to derail the natural crescendo. But Thompson always remains in control of each scene, and even when questionable moments occur, we can count on her to reel us back in. This re-teamup between DaCosta and Thompson is an alluring firestorm, and as long as they’re hosting a party, we can’t wait for an invitation.
