Nia DaCosta’s sapphic adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s play is a must-watch
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY AMAZON MGM STUDIOS
In the opening sequence of Nia DaCosta’s new sapphic thriller Hedda, Tessa Thompson is seen walking into a lake with stones in her pocket. She’s quickly drawn out of this by an incoming call from ex-lover Eileen. What unfurls is a tale of mystery, power and a whole lot of sexual tension.
Based on Henrik Ibsen’s play Hedda Gabler, DaCosta’s new imagining of the iconic story is dripping in sapphic sensuality. Hedda is a bored housewife, married to a man with brains but no sense of fun. The newlyweds have decided to throw a party in their grand new house, which her husband cannot afford. Everything is turned upside down when Hedda’s ex-lover Eileen, a lesbian academic, arrives at their decadent party with her lover Thea. But when someone gets shot, who is really to blame? Starring Tessa as the titular character Hedda, the film is also headed up by Nina Hoss as Eileen and Imogen Poots as Thea.
It’s evident from the outset that Tessa was born to play this role. Embodying the ultimate femme fatale, Tessa glimmers on screen as this complex character obsessed with power, fun and guns. We’re never entirely sure what Hedda is thinking. But what we do know is that she will always follow her own will.
To play alongside such an impressive performance requires someone equally as enigmatic and exciting. Nina Hoss does just that. Her portrayal of Eileen is sexy, powerful and utterly intoxicating. We can understand quickly why Hedda has been unable to move on. Imogen Poots finishes this tremendous trio of leading ladies, playing the concerned new girlfriend who is ready to throw her domestic life away for a chance at both sexual and financial liberation.
DaCosta moves away from the source material in several ways. The film is set in 1950s England, where Hedda’s bohemianism directly contrasts with her husband’s straight-edge approach to life. Hedda’s original love interest in Ibsen’s play – a man named Eilert – is transformed into sapphic longing for Eileen. It makes more sense in the story for Hedda’s desire to be tied to something she cannot have – love with a woman. It makes it all the more understandable for her rage to ensue, given Eileen’s blatant disregard for social norms by living proudly as herself, something Hedda cannot bring herself to do.
Full of decadence and desire, the film has audiences on the edge of their seats, wondering just how this night will play out. There are a number of fascinating sideplots that hint at a world where freedom is achievable, just not for Hedda. If there’s one thing about sapphics, it’s that we love a good thriller. Especially if the titular character is wearing red lipstick throughout.
You can watch Hedda in theatres on 24 October, or on Amazon Prime on 29 October.
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