Greta Gerwig embarks on an adaptation of a literary classic with “Little Women,” in which she manages to draw out her cherished themes on women and coming of age.
A classic of literature, “Little Women” (1868) by Louisa May Alcott, has already been adapted several times. Starting in 1918 with the silent film by Harley Knoles, then by George Cukor in 1933, Mervyn LeRoy in 1949, and by Gillian Armstrong in 1994. However, with “Little Women,” Greta Gerwig mainly has the opportunity to continue her exploration of young women eager to find their independence.
As in the novel and its adaptations, we find Jo, Meg, Amy, and Beth, four young girls living with their mother in New England in the 1860s. But instead of following a linear chronology, Gerwig chooses to navigate between present and past, between an almost adult age where these four girls are scattered in different cities, and their adolescent memories. A rewarding choice that allows for a nostalgically moving look at youth.
With “Little Women,” we find Gerwig’s dramatic-comic style, who does not hesitate to adopt a modern tone, almost anachronistic and out of sync with the genre of period films.
Although classic in its staging, the filmmaker delights in following the daily lives of these sisters, between squabbles and signs of affection.
From the spectacular landscapes of Massachusetts to the period costumes made of capes and crinolines, everything contributes to elevating the early denunciation of American patriarchy.
