A new Polish-language mini-series adaptation of Boleslaw Prus’s 1890 novel "The Doll" ("Lalka") premiered on Netflix this week, offering international audiences a richly detailed period drama set in 19th-century Warsaw. The series marks the first major screen retelling of a novel considered a masterpiece in Poland but largely unknown abroad, potentially introducing the story to millions who seek historical dramas reminiscent of popular shows like "Bridgerton" or "The Gilded Age."
Coinciding with the Netflix release, a separate film adaptation of "The Doll" is scheduled to premiere in Polish cinemas on September 30. The close timing of these two adaptations has sparked comparisons in Poland to cultural phenomena such as “Barbenheimer,” humorously dubbed “Dollheimer” by local commentators.
Set against the backdrop of Warsaw during the late 19th century, then part of the Russian Empire, "The Doll" follows Stanislaw Wokulski, a prosperous businessman from the emerging merchant class, and his complex relationship with Izabela Lecka, an aristocrat grappling with her family’s financial decline. The novel combines themes of class tension, societal transformation, and doomed love, portraying Izabela as a figure constrained by her social position who manipulates Wokulski’s affections to secure her status.
Recreating the largely destroyed 19th-century Warsaw for the series required filming in multiple Polish cities and employing detailed sets and computer-generated imagery to capture the era’s opulence—featuring lavish ballrooms, corsets, duels, and intricately styled wigs and facial hair.
Academic observers note that previous lack of international recognition for Polish literature, particularly during the Communist era, has shifted as Poland asserts itself politically and culturally in Europe. Katarzyna Zechenter, an associate professor at University College London, highlighted the novel’s renewed relevance amid this changing landscape, while also cautioning that the series, like many adaptations, streamlines the novel’s extensive exploration of Polish aristocracy, nationalism, and societal debates in favor of focusing on its central, notoriously troubled love story.
The Netflix adaptation, directed and co-written by Pawel Maslona, further updates character portrayals and narrative elements. Maslona described the series as a reinterpretation rather than a strict adaptation, taking creative liberties to present a fresh perspective. Notably, Izabela is reimagined to emphasize her ambition and resistance to gender and class constraints. Actress Sandra Drzymalska, who portrays Izabela, described the character as a “modern girl” who aspires to more than marriage, highlighting a subplot in which Izabela seeks to write for a progressive women-run newspaper.
Stanislaw’s obsessive love for Izabela is preserved and dramatized, emphasizing the destructive consequences of his infatuation, including scenes such as constructing a precise replica of Izabela’s bedroom. The series features unexpected plot twists, with Maslona acknowledging that the narrative takes a “crazy direction” that may surprise even dedicated readers of the original book.
As the show reaches wider audiences, reactions will likely vary between those familiar with Prus’s novel and new viewers, sparking discussion about its portrayal of a defining period in Polish literature and history.