A mother's secret. A son's inheritance. The dead don't stay buried when Ibsen writes the script.
Helene Alving leads an outwardly contented life. On the eve of the 10th anniversary of her husband's death, she is about to open an orphanage as a memorial to him. To mark this occasion, her bohemian painter son Oswald has returned from Paris. Helene plans to take the opportunity to tell Oswald the truth about his father. But ghosts of the past erupt during an eventful evening, bringing the facade of civilised family life crashing down.
Acting
Lesley Manville's controlled devastation
Direction
Eyre traps you in one suffocating room
Writing
Ibsen's 1881 play still scalds
Director
Richard Eyre
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Shot in just 17 days at London's Almeida Theatre during a live stage run, with the film version using the same sets and costumes.
Ibsen called 'Ghosts' his 'dirty work'—critics savaged its 1881 premiere for discussing venereal disease and euthanasia, themes still taboo enough to shock today.
GB
