Modern Ibsen Norway. Cozy and inexpensively furnished apartment of lawyer Torvald Helmer and his wife Nora. Nora enters the house from the street, she brings with her many boxes - these are gifts for the Christmas tree for children and Torvald. The husband lovingly fusses around his wife and jokingly accuses her - his squirrel, butterfly, bird, chrysalis, lark - of motivation. But this Christmas, Nora objects to him, a little motivation will not hurt them, since from the new year Helmer assumes the post of director of the bank and they will not need, as in previous years, to save literally everything.
Having courted his wife (she is also a dazzling beauty after the birth of three children), Helmer retires to his office, and Nora's old friend Fru Linda enters the living room, she has just come from the ship. The women did not see each other for a long time - almost eight years, during which time a friend managed to bury her husband, whose marriage was childless. What about Nora? Is she still carelessly fluttering through life? If so. In the first year of his marriage, when Helmer left the ministry, he had to, apart from his main job, take business papers at home and sit over them until late in the evening. As a result, he became ill, and doctors said that only the southern climate can save him. They spent a whole year in Italy with their whole family. The money for the trip, a rather large sum, Nora allegedly took from her father, but this is not true; one gentleman helped her ... No, no, let Fru Linda think nothing of this! .. Money was borrowed on receipt. And now Nora regularly pays interest on the loan, earning extra money secretly from her husband.
Will Fru Linde settle here again in their city? What will she do? Helmer, probably, will be able to arrange it in his bank, just now he draws up the staff list and talks in his office with the attorney Krogstad, about to dismiss him - the place is vacated. How? Does Fru Linda know him a little? Yeah, of course, it means they lived in the same city and sometimes met.
Torvald Helmer really dismisses Krogstad. He does not like people with a tarnished reputation. At one time, Krogstad (Helmer studied with him) committed a forgery - forged a signature on a money document, but avoided the court, having managed to get out of a difficult situation. But this is even worse! An unpunished vice sows the seeds of decay around. Such a person as Krogstad should be prohibited from having children - only criminals will grow out of such a teacher.
But the forgery, as it turns out, was committed by Nora. She forged on a loan letter to Krogstad (it was he who gave her the money for Italy) a surety signature of her father, which she could not apply to - at that time he was lying dying. Moreover, the document is dated in the day when the father could not sign it, because by then it had already died. Krogstad, who is being driven out of work, asks Nora to put in a word for him, he proved himself to be a good bank manager, but the appointment of a new director confused all his cards. Helmer wants to fire him not only for his dark past, but even for the fact that he has called him “you” several times from old memory. Nora asks for Krogstad, but Helmer who does not take her seriously refuses. Then Krogstad threatens Hope with a revelation: he will tell her husband where she got the money from for her trip to Italy. In addition, Helmer learns about her forgery. Having obtained nothing from Nora this time, Krogstad openly blackmails both spouses: he sends a letter to Helmer with a direct threat - if the story of Nora's forgery comes up, he cannot stay on as the director of the bank. Nora rushes about in search of a way out. First she flirts with a family friend, Dr. Rank. He secretly in love with her, but doomed to death - he has hereditary syphilis. Rank is ready for anything for Nora and would give her money, but by this time it turns out that Krogstad needs something different. The story of Dr. Rank ends tragically - the Helmera spouses receive a postcard with a black cross from him by post - the cross means that the doctor locked himself in his house and does not accept anyone else: there he will die without frightening his friends with his appearance.
But what does Hope do anyway? Shame and exposure scare her, it is better to commit suicide! But the implacable Krogstad warns: suicide is pointless, in which case her memory will be disgraced.
Help comes from an unexpected angle - from Nora's friend Fru Linda. At the decisive moment, she explained to Krogstad: in the past they had love, but Fru Linda married another: she had an old mother and two younger brothers in her arms, but the financial situation of Krogstad was fragile. Now Fru Linda is free: her mother and husband have died, the brothers have truly risen to their feet - she is ready to marry Krogstad, if he still needs to. Krogstad is happy, his life is getting better, he finally finds love and a loyal person, he refuses blackmail. But it’s too late - his letter is in Helmer’s mailbox, only he has the key to it. Well, let Nora know what her Helmer really stands for with his hypocritical morality and prejudice! - decides Krogstad.
In fact, after reading the letter, Helmer almost beats in hysteria from the righteous anger that swept over him. How? Is his wife his bird, his bird, the lark, his doll a criminal? And it is because of her that the well-being of the family, achieved by such hard work, is now being sprayed! They cannot get rid of the requirements of Krogstad until the end of days! Helmer won't let Hope spoil the kids! From now on they will be given in the care of a nanny! Helmer will allow Hope to stay in the house to keep up appearances, but they will now live separately!
At this moment, the messenger brings a letter from Krogstad. He refuses his claims and returns Norah's loan letter. Helmer's mood changes instantly. They are saved! Everything will be, as before, even better! But then Nora, whom Helmer used to consider his obedient toy, suddenly rebels against him. She leaves home! Leaves forever! First, father, and then Helmer used to treat her like a beautiful doll, which is nice to caress. She understood this before, but she loved Helmer and forgave him. Now the thing is different - she really hoped for a miracle - that Helmer, as a loving husband, would take her blame on himself. Now she no longer loves Helmer, as before Helmer did not love her - he just liked being in love with her. They are strangers. And living still means committing adultery, selling yourself for comfort and money.
Nora’s decision stuns Helmer. He is smart enough to understand - her words and feelings are serious. But is there really no hope that someday they will be reunited? He will do everything so that they are no longer strangers! “It would be a miracle of miracles,” Nora answers, and miracles, as she was convinced from experience, rarely happen. Its decision is final.
