A Master Builder 2014

In the quiet, idyllic town of Norway, architect Halvard Solness (character name) has achieved a measure of renown and respectability through his craftsmanship. Married to Aline, he has spent years honing his skills, earning a reputation as a master builder in his community. One fateful day, while conferring with his old friend Doctor Herdal, Solness’s tranquility is disrupted by the arrival of 22-year-old Hilde Wangel, whose presence sparks an instant recognition from the doctor, who has recently returned from a journey.

As the doctor departs and leaves Solness alone with Hilde, she gently yet firmly reminds him that they have shared a connection in the past. Specifically, she recalls their encounter at her childhood home ten years prior, when she was just 12. Unfazed by Solness’s silence, Hilde reiterates the events of that day, revealing his previous attempts to woo her and promises of grandeur, which had left her starry-eyed. Initially hesitant, Solness eventually acknowledges these memories, allowing Hilde to insinuate herself into his household.

As Solness’s most ambitious project nears completion, featuring soaring steeples that seem to defy gravity, Hilde learns of the architect’s deep-seated fear of heights – acrophobia – but encourages him to conquer this phobia by ascending to the pinnacle of the structures during their grand opening. Inspired by her words, Solness embarks on an imaginary ascent, reaching new heights as he hangs a wreath on the newly built home for his wife.

In a stunning twist, it becomes clear that Hilde’s presence has been merely a product of Solness’s imagination all along. As he dies in this fantastical scenario, surrounded by the fruits of his labor and the symbolism of the wreath, it is revealed that Solness had never left his bed – trapped in his own mind, where reality and fantasy blurred into a poignant portrait of a life lived vicariously through the power of imagination.