The Henrik Ibsen Collectionis simply astoundingly comprehensive.  This compilation of BBC adaptations of Ibsen's work--plays essential to the dawn of modern theater--features television versions of nine of Ibsen's major plays (with two different versions ofThe Master Builder, with the arrogant architect played in 1958 by Donald Wolfit, then in 1988 by Leo McKern), with an additional seven of Ibsen's plays (including some rarely performed early works) presented in radio versions, along with an intriguing playaboutIbsen,A Meeting in Rome, concerning the Norwegian dramatist's relationship with the bitter Swedish playwright August Strindberg, author ofMiss Julie. But the collection's true value lies not in its completeness; these productions are never less than sturdy and some are grippingly dynamic, thanks to skillful direction and powerhouse casts. The tightly edited 1962 version ofHedda Gablerstars a magnetic Ingrid Bergman as the volatile heroine, fantastically paired with Michael Redgrave (The Importance of Being Earnest) as her mediocre husband and Ralph Richardson (The Fallen Idol) as their predatory family friend, his eyes glittering with lust for Hedda. Juliet Stevenson (Truly Madly Deeply) perfectly captures both the flightiness and the earnest passion of the Victorian wife ofA Doll's House(though the script could have stood some editing for television). The blazing eyes of Patrick McGoohan (The Prisoner) drive the title character ofBrand, a clergyman who destroys his own life through inflexible rectitude. InLittle Eyolf, Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of the Lambs) and Diana Rigg (The Avengers) claw at each other as they suffocate in their unhappy marriage. The most visually striking production isGhosts, starring Judi Dench (Iris), Michael Gambon (The Singing Detective), and Kenneth Branagh (Shackleton); this creepy tale of incest, adultery, and disease oozes Gothic claustrophobia. In some respects, Ibsen hasn't aged well. Many of the particular repressions and injustices he attacked have fallen (though often replaced by subtler forms), making some of these plays seem strident and overwrought. But the modernized adaptation ofAn Enemy of the Peopleeasily shows how hypocrisy and greed never go away--no stars here, just the sheer force of people acting out their worst instincts. And only someone heartless could remain unmoved byThe Wild Duck, with a simple but devastating performance by Jenny Agutter (Logan's Run) as a girl watching her family destroyed by an intruder's idealism. Though Ibsen died over a hundred years ago, his plays still pack a punch.--Bret Fetzer