REVIEW: Little Women, Retold With Purpose & Charm
- Benjamin Wiebe
- Jan 23, 2021
- 4 min read
Greta Gerwig's Little Women is the most charming movie I saw last week. It is full of so much wonder and emotion that it will captivate any audience, no matter their knowledge of the source material.
It's these small moments of reflecting on what family means and the power of being together that make this movie work so wonderfully.
In telling the story of Jo March and her family as they grow up in Nineteenth Century America, Gerwig uses non-linear storytelling to develop a discussion of memories, nostalgia, and the difficulties of growing up that aren't limited to the time period and are real and tangible to all individuals.
As a drama, the conflict lies in the characters and how their wants and desires impact the others in the family, and this element is so well made and integrated in the performances and script that it is worth talking about. While much of this can be attributed to Louisa May Alcott, I think that it is worth noting how Greta Gerwig utilized the non-linear structure to highlight similar arguments in the past and present simultaneously. This style of telling the story creates an emotional anchor in how the family operates together, for one another despite the conflicts that arise in day to day life, and it’s beautiful to watch how characters change over time as they accept each other for who they are.
Joe is a free spirit, and watching her find who she is and stick up for herself is truly captivating. Saoirse Ronan absolutely owns this role and is a captivating protagonist.
Adding to this, is the complexity of the characters. Greta Gerwig has a talent for creating and portraying characters with great emotional depth and complexity. This was true in Lady Bird and is seen in greater depth in this adaptation of the novel. From the performances of Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Laura Dern, Timothee Chalamet, and Florence Pugh to the detailed script, you feel for each character’s desires and understand who they want to be. I love how well realized Jo is in the film, how she wants to be her own person and make a career for herself. I love how Meg wants to fit within more of societies standards as a socialite but won’t sacrifice real love for that. I adore Amy’s desire to be her own person, to grow from living in the shadow of Jo. I love how Laurie is a heartbroken man trying to find approval and acceptance. I love how Beth is the most introverted, happy to be with the family. I love how Marmee constantly works to unify her daughters and be a model for how they can live. It all feels so real, and I feel this summary is only scrapping the surface of these characters.
This still of the whole family together captures everything I love about the film, in that it feels like a warm, comforting hug after a long day of work. It's cozy and sweet.
And I think that leads into the next layer of this adaptation, in that Jo March is a representation for Louisa May Alcott in the present sequences. We see the struggling artist who wants to be proper, and how she must ultimately make changes to fit within societies standards despite how badly she wants to break away from them. This movie is a love letter to the creative process, highlighting the difficulties of being an artist, but also showing how life can form the greatest stories through pure empathy.
And that Empathy is the real drive of this film. I mentioned that the characters and their conflicts drive the film, which is true of all drama’s, but what sets Greta Gerwig above others is how she makes the core of her stories a study of listening to those around us and reconciling our differences with them. Within the March family, we see this as a common practice, as Jo learns to see from the perspective of Amy and Meg as they choose different paths for themselves, and as these characters go through the hard trials of adulthood seemingly alone, it compels the audience to empathize with them. I care more about this family than any of the characters in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World because these characters feel so real and alive. I can feel the suffering and unfairness of the world in this movie, and it moves me to tears every time. I love that.
The colour grading differences add to the mellow, depressing feel of the present in the film, and this sequence of clinging to the past is so hard to watch. So good.
This movie is easily one of my favourites of 2019; it's beautiful, full of energy and love and care, and feels so real that I am moved to tears. I think it's Greta Gerwig's true talent: to make characters so real and understandable that you feel like you are living with them. This film feels grand and small simultaneously, and it all feels honest and real.
Add to all of that a camera that captures the emotions of the characters in each scene through the movement and shot length, and you have a film so full of emotion that I can not watch it without being moved to tears and laughter. It’s a truly beautiful movie that captures family and how we grow up so well, and I think it is a must watch from last year. Easily a 5/5 for me.
The film is full of heart, and runs forward with enthusiasm and energy that very few works have. What a wonderful film.
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