I have always struggled with period dramas. As a child, they were slow and boring compared to loud action thrillers. As a teenager, they were silly and boring when it was clear I wasn’t the target audience. As a young (dare I say little) man, I was restricted by my inability to access feelings and emotions to appreciate what this type of film offers. Now, I have come to a couple of realisations. One, it is ridiculous to have said I hated period dramas because technically any drama set in a specific era falls under this category – including those cowboy and gangster films I religiously watched. Two, what I specifically hate are those British period dramas set a hundred years ago in big estates with posh dialogue. It isn’t enough for this genre to be meandering and personally unrelatable, but they’ve also become carbon copies of each other. Therefore, I was originally sceptical about another Little Women remake, but this movie breaks out of the mould.
Coming off the success of her solo feature directorial debut Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig collaborates once again with Saoirse Ronan and Timothée Chalamet for Little Women. Based upon the Louisa May Alcott novels written in the 1860s, Gerwig’s adaptation is the seventh to hit the big screen and stars Ronan as Jo, Florence Pugh (in her third and final film of 2019) as Amy, Emma Watson as Meg and Eliza Scanlen as Beth. The story covers the March sisters’ lives during and after the civil war, navigating careers and boys (played by Chalemet, James Norton, and Louis Garrel) under the supervision of Marmee (Laura Dern) whilst Father (Bob Odenkirk) is fighting away.
Getting to know these characters is what I enjoyed most about the movie. Given that there are four protagonists, we witness them all within a group dynamic as well as on solo adventures, allowing them space to accentuate their own unique personalities. Alongside Gerwig and many other writers, I lived vicariously through Jo. Ronan’s performance is confident, portraying Jo with self-assuredness in her independent life choices and the stories she’s drafted. However, this also results in the mindset of thinking she is always right, which I admit to being guilty of too. Then you have Amy, who’s flirtatious outgoing manner is where I laughed most. Pugh exhibits brazenness and an audacious attitude mixed in with a selfish ‘I must get what I want’ stance, but it’s more her “I want to be great or nothing” perspective that has similarly pushed me creatively too. Both of these characters I found a lot to relate with, hence keeping me invested on how their arcs culminate. Regarding Meg and Beth, their personas provide opposing viewpoints to Jo and Amy, rounding off the ensemble fittingly. Watson exudes a more traditionalist sentiment whilst Scanlen balances introverted shyness and selflessness perfectly. Altogether, they are complex and nuanced characters playing vital roles for young women to aspire to be.
This inspiration is boosted by the theme of feminism featured throughout. One of the main threads that affect the protagonists is love and marriage, but the film makes clear the unequal balance surrounding the ceremony. Most notably in Amy’s speech to Chalemet’s Laurie, she informs him of the loss in power and sacrifice of identity once a woman becomes wedded, a discussion less featured in romance but more appropriate for today’s generation. Yet, this topic is never delivered in a heavy-handed fashion nor disregards preconceived gender roles. Summarised aptly from Meg to Jo when the writer is trying to convince her to be more independent,“Just because my dreams are different than yours, doesn’t mean they’re unimportant” is one of the film’s clear messages.
Continuing the adaptation to a modern audience, the overall pacing has been quickened compared to the aforementioned meandering period dramas. Dialogue remains true to the source material, for example Marmee’s line of “I’m angry nearly every day of my life” is taken directly from Alcott’s book, but the characters feel more realistic when they speak rapidly and over the top of each other. It also adds a funny tone in-keeping with Gerwig’s style, creating a period drama romantic comedy hybrid. Therefore, my initial cynicism has been dissipated by Little Women, and I look forward to exploring further into the genre for similar films I have ignorantly missed.