Little Women rings relatable to a new generation
By Sophie Rosenblum, Managing Editor
“No one will forget Jo March,” declares the main character of “Little Women” minutes into the movie. And it is true, the world created by Louisa May Alcott and now adapted by Greta Gerwig is one that stays with the reader or viewer forever. With clever transitions and dialogue, Gerwig has harnessed the unforgettable quality that has kept “Little Women” at the forefront of American classics for generations and brought it back to the table for everyone to enjoy, this time giving Louisa May Alcott an ending that she might have liked. Gerwig tackles the story from a more feminist standpoint, merging the storylines of main character Jo and Louisa May Alcott herself to stand by the sentiment that not all women’s lives need to culminate in marriage.
Set in Concord, Massachusetts, “Little Women” follows the four March sisters as they navigate life during the Civil War, the ongoing pressure to marry and each of their own personal endeavors. Of the sisters there is Meg (Emma Watson), the responsible one, Beth (Eliza Scanlen), the sweet and quiet musician, Amy (Florence Pugh), a fiery painter with a taste for the finer things in life and Jo (Saorse Ronan), a witty, independent writer. As the movie progresses, the viewer has the privilege of watching the sisters grow up and become versions of the individuals they all desire to be.
The film alternates between childhood and adulthood, weaving together Alcott’s text to form the mosaic that is Gerwig’s vision of “Little Women.” It is this chronology, the flip between future and past, that pushes the plot forward and keeps the viewer attentive. Childhood scenes hum with life: there are eloquent feasts on the table, a fire burning, music, dancing and endearing quarrels between the sisters. The most notable choice in regards to the cinematography was the use of light. Childhood scenes are distinguishable by their ethereal glow, evoking an angelic quality to the film. Alternately, the scenes in the future appear sterile, lacking the vibrancy that the daughters brought to the home when they lived there.
Jo, the driving force behind each scene in the movie, has proven herself time and again to be an instigator. Always at the ready with a quip or refutation, her character keeps the audience on their toes. At the time “Little Women” was first written, characters like Jo, women that aspired to be independent, did not exist in literature. In this way, “Little Women” has always found a way to seep into modern culture, with Jo setting the precedent for what it looks like to be a smart and self-sufficient woman. Alcott threw herself into the character of Jo the same way that Ronan does now, embodying her intense love for writing and her family perfectly. This dedication to character is evident in the the on-screen chemistry between Chalamet and Ronan which feels wholesome and believable. Those that have followed Gerwig’s work would know that the two actors, Chalamet and Ronan, worked together on “Ladybird,” her directorial debut. Their characters bantered playfully then and they do now, this time with a cultivated feeling of mutual love, whether platonic or romantic.
After “Ladybird”’s sweeping success, critics were skeptical of Gerwig’s choice of “Little Women” as her next film. Now, hopefully people can see what she saw in the book- that the story is timeless. Between the fantastic acting, writing, and cinematography, “Little Women” shines as an honest look into the deep connections of family and how to carve your own path.