It’s safe to say that Little Women is not only one of the most iconic novels of all time, but it’s also one of the most popular go-to’s when it comes to adapting a novel for the silver screen. With film adaptations of Louisa May Alcott’s classic going back as far as 1917 (though, sadly, this adaptation is now considered lost), it is only fact that each generation has their own version of the famous book. It is also a piece that becomes more relevant with the passage of time, and it was clear that yet another film should be added to the collection. So enters 2019 Little Women, directed by Greta Gerwig, a filmmaker with more than her fair share of praise as of recently. But does it live up to that praise?
Although I think most people probably already know the general plot of Little Women, I’ll try and recap it quickly. The story centers around the four sisters of the March household: the oldest, graceful Meg, spunky tomboy Jo, quiet Beth, and the youngest, the artistic but bratty Amy. Unbeknown to these four girls, their lives are about to change – be it because of romance, secret ambitions, or heartbreak. Chronicling their lives from adolescence to adulthood, the film follows the inseparable four as they live, laugh, cry, and struggle together through the challenges and hardships of life.
Right off the bat, one thing that immediately sets this film apart from the rest is its use of structure and pacing. Instead of simply following the story by-the-book, that is to say starting from when the four are all teenagers and ending when they’re all adults in a linear fashion, Gerwig employs interesting techniques that involve the plot cutting back and forth between different time periods in their lives, all the while making it rather easy to follow (at least, I thought so) and not boring. It’s also clear that Gerwig has definitely learned a lot about cinematography and shot composition since her previous film, Lady Bird. This film is simply gorgeous to look at. Another aspect of this production that blew me away is the amount of acting talent involved (as I wrote this, I found out that Laura Dern, who plays the girls’ mother Marmie, won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, which is very much well-deserved!) from everyone involved. I was especially surprised by Timothée Chalamet as Laurie, who I felt was really playing a character, not just playing himself. Of course, it would all be empty without Alexandre Desplat’s charming score, which makes the film’s quiet scenes speak the loudest.
Although this is normally the part where I list my dislikes, I find it very hard to think of any particular gripe I had regarding this film. Yes, not everything in the book is present in the film, but all that mattered to me was that the important ones were. Yes, not every sister gets an equal amount of screentime, but all the actresses did the best they could regardless, and Saoirse Ronan as Jo is such a good performance that it doesn’t really matter if the focus is mostly on her.
Overall, compared the previous film disaster I reviewed, The Rise of Skywalker, Greta Grewig’s Little Women is a breath of fresh air. When you combine a rapidly-improving director with a talented cast, beautiful cinematography, and a tight script, you get a once-in-a-lifetime cinema experience. Whether you’re a fan of the book or not, this is certainly one film you wouldn’t want to miss.
Final score: 9/10
The Art Archive 