Feature article: Baby factory: Romance and reproduction in Norway’s first sound film

Abstract

Abstract This article considers expressions of ambivalence at the intersections of gender, industry and urbanity in Norway’s first sound film, Den store barnedåpen (The Great Christening) (Ibsen, 1931). Despite its status as a city film, The Great Christening conveys a subtly anti-industrial message, suggesting that true happiness is to be found at a short but significant distance from the factory. Previous scholarship on gender has considered the innovative depiction of Ibsen’s male protagonist Harald and his soft or domestic masculinity. This article uses close reading and historical research on the family in inter-war Norway to reconsider such characterization, as well as the distinct position of the biological mother in the film. The Great Christening expresses great confidence in Norwegian kinship, fertility and urban possibilities. At the same time, it separates romance and reproduction, keeping its male hero at a distance from the anxious association of working-class mothers and mechanization.