Classic Literature adaptation - Little Women (2019)

You know what? Let’s look at the classics this week, with a review of a book adaptation and a play adaptation. Specifically, let’s look at Little Women and The Crucible, classic works with a ton of historical context and interesting backstory. First, let’s go the 2019’s Little Women.

If you haven’t read the book or seen the movie, Little Women is about the four March sisters (Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen) and their journey into adulthood in the time of Civil War America. All of the costumes and chauvinism and period details are there as you expect in this comparatively light-hearted look at middle-class female relationships in a difficult time.

Writer/director Greta Gerwig made an interesting choice of changing the book’s linear structure into a non-linear one, as she wanted to focus more on the characters as adults and the effects of the story on that period of their lives. This is potentially a great idea, and it works well at points, but it’s impossible to overlook the fact that this is a linear story being told in the absolute antithesis to its design of character development and writing. As such, there are definitely points in the movie where I went “wait, what?” (because I hadn’t read the book when I saw it, and still haven’t) and others which would have lost the dramatic heft they would have had when they were in a linear story with clear cause and effect. Additionally, it makes this movie feel much longer than it actually is.

She also throws in this twist at the ending (which I won’t spoil) which I felt was a really bizarre choice, as it not only felt like it was unnecessary to the development of the characters, but also covering thematic territory the movie had already explored and didn’t need to check on again. Remove that part, the movie ends way better in my opinion.

Aside from the story structure and ending, however, this is a perfectly entertaining and light-hearted review of sisterhood and companionship, and most of it comes down to Greta Gerwig’s direction. She always frames a scene so that all of the dialogue and acting never feels like it’s staged or being forced on the audience, but playing out naturally and spontaneously with a strong sense of intimacy. The camera movement and beauty of the movie is also really lively under Gerwig, with the camera always swinging through a scene capturing every bit of warmth from the surroundings.

In terms of the performances you’d expect from these Oscar-calibre movies, Little Women does deliver quite a few. The easy standout of the movie is Saoirse Ronan as Jo March, who earned her 4th Oscar nomination and her 4th deserved one for her nuanced, playful and incredibly likeable portrayal of a mid-19th century aristocrat. Timothée Chalamet does not get talked about enough for his similarly incredibly likeable but also emotionally powerful performance, and neither does Laura Dern, who missed out on a Supporting Actress nod for this subtle, touching performance because she was too busy winning for her more ferocious turn in Marriage Story. Chris Cooper and Eliza Scanlen are also really good in the movie, as well as Emma Watson and Meryl Streep. Florence Pugh, while fine, surprisingly didn’t stand out to me that much, even though I think she’s an incredible actress, mainly because her character’s arc is rendered less powerful due to the non-linear editing.

Little Women is also a beautiful looking movie that feels both like a painting and a real location in its mix of stunning vistas and down-to-Earth emotion. Gerwig and cinematographer Yorick Le Saux are always introducing new locations, time periods and colours to keep the audience engaged in the developing story, and as I already mentioned, the camera movement also really contributes to the warmth and energy of the movie. Throw in some strongly detailed production design, costumes and wigs, as well as a touching piano-based score from Alexandre Desplat, and you have a period drama which stands strong in its genre purely on its looks and sounds alone.

I saw 6 of the Oscar Best Picture nominees in 2019, and to me, Little Women actually felt the least out of all the ones I saw (Ford v. Ferrari, Joker, Jojo Rabbit, 1917 and Parasite). Even though I still think it is a good movie, I feel that the bizarre structuring and ending decisions keep it from being a really great movie. I’m going to give it a 7.5/10, or a B+.

Have you seen Little Women? If so, what did you think of it? Leave your answers in the comments below.