Little Women
LITTLE WOMEN - SONY
Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women is one of the most beloved classics of literature and has been adapted several times since its publishing. While many were sceptical of seeing Greta Gerwig do a remake for her sophomore directing credit after 2017’s original Ladybird, Gerwig puts such tender love and care into her update of Little Women that it becomes a tribute to the March sisters and Alcott herself, as Saoirse Ronan plays Jo March with hints of Alcott. The film is terrific for those who grew up reading Little Women and also manages to convey the story’s joy to those who have never read the novel or seen another adaptation.
As always, Little Women follows the March sisters — Meg, Jo, Amy and Beth — as they come of age during the American Civil War. Instead of sticking to the story’s chronological order, Gerwig decides to run two timelines throughout the film: one when the March sisters are young teenagers and the other seven years later when they are more grown-up. This choice keeps Gerwig’s Little Women fresh while staying true to the roots of Alcott’s story. Gerwig is able to create beautiful parallels through the script’s two timelines; the March sisters have grown-up, but there is still plenty about their characters that stay the same. The pacing of the film is fantastic as the actors play off one another so well and interject their lines so quickly that it feels like the actors genuinely understand the bond of the March sisters. For the most part, it is simple for the viewer to differentiate between Little Women’s two timelines. Some characters have different hairstyles and their demeanour and energy has matured or feels far more rising so that the viewer can determine which narrative they are seeing, being the past or the future. However, there are some scenes where each shot flips between the two narratives that make it easy to get lost and takes a little bit of time to figure out what exactly is going on.
Saoirse Ronan plays the quick-tempered Jo March in a way that brings justice to the heroine. She struggles with the concept of a woman’s place in the world and refuses to let a man define her but also contradicts herself when she sobs about being lonely. Ronan captures Jo’s complexity with beautiful nuance as she goes after her ambitions. Emma Watson’s Meg plays a beautiful foil to Ronan’s Jo as she finds comfort in life’s domesticities, aa does Florence Pugh’s Amy. Often the most disliked of the sisters, Pugh plays Amy’s classic whininess and immaturity immensely well with a little pout, while also adding poise and intelligence that forces the other characters and the audience to take her seriously. Eliza Scanlen’s Beth is the quietest of the sisters, being the youngest of the family and also suffering from scarlet fever, she is used to push the other sisters forward.
The supporting characters around the March sisters round out Little Women’s all-star cast. Timothée Chalamet’s Laurie is played with a boyish charm as he enjoys the chaotic nature of the March sisters. Chalamet is the perfect Laurie, especially as he frequently argues with Pugh’s Amy and Ronan’s Jo, he uses his chemistry with each actress to tie Laurie to the sisters. Laura Dern and Bob Odenkirk play the parents to the March sisters, helping their children adapt to the intricacies of growing up. Meryl Streep shines as the mean Aunt March, a single rich woman who uses her privilege to talk down to the sisters. Streep’s scenes are some of the funniest in the movie as she delivers harsh criticism of the sisters’ life choices, turning up her nose, but deep down, Aunt March still loves her family.
Yorick Le Saux’s cinematography plucks the audience and brings them straight into Reconstruction Era America. Shot on 35mm, Le Saux helps convey the two timelines through colour and texture: the past is warmer and happy while the film turns more grey in the future as the March sisters struggle with being a woman in their society. The dancing scenes are some of the best of the movie, bringing the audience straight into the flurry of ballgowns. Jacqueline Durran’s costume design ties the period piece together. The wardrobe is straight out of the 1860s and is incredibly beautiful. Each outfit suits the personalities of the March sisters incredibly well.
Greta Gerwig delivers all the classic aspects of the novel while also modernising the film to reflect today’s brand of feminism. Everything about the film has Gerwig’s loving touch and it is clear to see how much Alcott’s story means to the director. The production design, the cinematography, the editing and the acting are all impeccable, helping Gerwig translate her vision of Little Women into a delightful sophomore effort.
Little Women is released December 26th 2019