Little Women (2019) Review

Title: Little Women
Year: 2019
Director: Greta Gerwig
Country: US
Language: English

Louise May Alcott's Little Women has been adapted for the screen, for radio, and for broadway for almost an entire century. Hollywood's features include two silent era pictures, George Cukor's 1933 adaptation starring Katherine Hepburn, Mervyn LeRoy's 1949 technicolor melodrama, Gilliam Armstrong's 1994 venture starring Winona Ryder and a Christian-friendly remake that was almost immediately forgotten about in 2018. Director Greta Gerwig attempts to make a Little Women that surpases the rest. 

Jo March (Saoirse Ronan) reflects back and forth on her life, telling the beloved story of the March sisters - four young women each determined to live life on their own terms. Meg March is played by Emma Watson, Amy March is played by Florence Plugh, and Beth March is played by Eliza Scanlen. 

Greta Gerwig's Little Women greatly emphasizes the importance of women as creatives. Gerwig downplays the imporance of marriage- emphasizing how silly it is that any of the sisters get married. Gerwig, like Alcott, stresses that women have more importance in life than just to serve men. The biggest scenes in Gerwig's adaptation highlight Jo's distaste for marriage and her yearning to be greater than the women of her generation. 

Gerwig's picture is less linear than Alcott's book; indeed events are rearranged to give each scene more thematic clarity. We return to the March household many times and, although it is just a setpiece, the house feels lively and vibrant. It is a character unto itself that has its own unque personality, much like each individual March sister. 

Incredibly well written, Greta Gerwig's Little Women is the best adaptation of the book I have seen so far. Though this may be blasphemy to say, Gerwig's adaptation is more accessible than Alcott's original book. The set design, the costumes, the acting, the music are all wonderful. Everything adds up to an instant classic.