In the second act of A Doll’s House, Nora does everything in her power to distract Torvald so that he does not read his mail. Krogstad has sent Torvald a letter in which he has detailed Nora’s debts and recent actions. When Nora’s pleas for Krogstad to spare her fall short, she realizes that she must resort to other means. During the play, Nora eventually asks her friend, Kristine, to help her since she and Krogstad used to know one another. However, this plan will also fail to achieve the results Nora wants.
In the meantime, in order to prevent a confrontation, Nora begs Torvald to help her practice the tarantella dance for a party. As Dr. Rank and later Torvald play the piano, Nora dances wildly and with great enthusiasm. However, Torvald …show more content…
Claire Bloom’s Nora dances for Torvald, and makes purposeful mistakes while she does so. She maintains eye contact with her husband, usually by looking up at him, to make it appear as though she is searching for his instruction and approval. As he corrects her, Nora dances even more violently and acts like she does not understand the errors she is making. Claire Bloom intensifies her childlike gestures and mannerisms so that Torvald feels that he has no choice but to spend all of his time coaching her until the party. She keeps her joy at her triumph hidden, and continues to act like the ideal woman and …show more content…
In fact, it is doubly so as Mabou Mines shows the audience, made up of actual dolls, throughout the play and during this scene in particular. As the doll-audience observes dispassionately, Torvald and Dr. Rank engage with Nora as she dances recklessly about the stage. The sudden blurry quality to the cinematography heightens the performative aspect of this moment, further removing Nora from the reality of her situation. Furthermore, it should be noted that this particular interpretation of Nora’s dance takes place on an actual stage. Mitchell has considerable space to dance across and use in order to avoid a
In the meantime, in order to prevent a confrontation, Nora begs Torvald to help her practice the tarantella dance for a party. As Dr. Rank and later Torvald play the piano, Nora dances wildly and with great enthusiasm. However, Torvald …show more content…
Claire Bloom’s Nora dances for Torvald, and makes purposeful mistakes while she does so. She maintains eye contact with her husband, usually by looking up at him, to make it appear as though she is searching for his instruction and approval. As he corrects her, Nora dances even more violently and acts like she does not understand the errors she is making. Claire Bloom intensifies her childlike gestures and mannerisms so that Torvald feels that he has no choice but to spend all of his time coaching her until the party. She keeps her joy at her triumph hidden, and continues to act like the ideal woman and …show more content…
In fact, it is doubly so as Mabou Mines shows the audience, made up of actual dolls, throughout the play and during this scene in particular. As the doll-audience observes dispassionately, Torvald and Dr. Rank engage with Nora as she dances recklessly about the stage. The sudden blurry quality to the cinematography heightens the performative aspect of this moment, further removing Nora from the reality of her situation. Furthermore, it should be noted that this particular interpretation of Nora’s dance takes place on an actual stage. Mitchell has considerable space to dance across and use in order to avoid a