[Review] Little Women: Self-Determination

Remaking films has always been a difficult task because the outside world expects not just a remake but also something new that keeps pace with the development of the times. This year's Little Women is a good example of this.

Little Women is adapted from the 1868 novel of the same name, and its discussion of feminism remains timeless, being particularly relevant in the current social and political climate. The film uses parallel editing to present the stories of two timelines: the "present" and the "past." The film first tells the story of Jo (Saoirse Ronan) now living alone in New York City and then details her and her family's past in Massachusetts. The film includes a prompt indicating the time point the first time a flashback is shown, but there are no further prompts after that. However, in the flashbacks, Jo is always with her three sisters, and the scenes are full of joy, with a predominantly warm color tone, looking very heartwarming and youthful. In contrast, in the present scenes, the March sisters have scattered, and they have to face all difficulties and worries alone, with a predominantly cool color tone in the visuals, looking very lonely and melancholic. The strong contrast in style and visuals between the two timelines precisely reflects the pain and loneliness of growing up and leaving home, as well as the difficulties and struggles faced by women in society.

I described the feminism discussed in the original novel as still timeless, which might sound like a good thing, but in fact, many societies in the world today are still full of contempt and prejudice against women, and women still lack equal opportunities and status. Although the story is about events that happened over 150 years ago, the unfair treatment suffered by women in the film still occurs in 2019. In that era, women lacked job opportunities, and the only way to live a relatively prosperous life seemed to be to marry a wealthy man. Among the four daughters of the March family, Jo is the most insistent on her ideals and unwilling to compromise with reality. She is passionate about writing and hopes to become a writer, unwilling to marry for a stable life. When her family is in financial trouble, she would rather sell her hair than rely on a man – she wants to be an independent woman. She even rejects the handsome and wealthy Laurie (Timothée Chalamet), which may be the most regrettable decision of her life, and fate plays tricks on her because of it. However, it is still her decision. Even if she feels regret and pain, it is still her choice. Just like in the film when she decides to sell her novel to the editor Mr. Dashwood (Tracy Letts) and changes the ending of the story according to his requirements to make it more acceptable to the world. This novel tells the story of her life, her and her family's story. In reality, she determined her own destiny, choosing to live single, while she decided to rewrite the ending of the novel such that the protagonist decides to be with someone else. With this arrangement, she retained the copyright, allowing herself to earn a living – she can control her own life, earn money by her own ability, and pursue her dreams. The film uses a "story within a story" format to allow Jo to rewrite her destiny, adding a touch of modernity to this old story while highlighting the theme of self-determination.

Following Lady Bird, director Greta Gerwig once again uses a female perspective to create a sincere and moving film with women as the protagonists. One of the most outstanding aspects of the film is the joyful relationship between the four March sisters in flashbacks. I believe the audience can also feel that joy while watching and will recall their own beautiful childhood memories with siblings and friends. Even though the four have different personalities, and there are occasional disputes between Jo and her younger sister Amy (Florence Pugh), the close and strong sisterly bond can still move the audience. Their relationship also makes the audience feel that no matter what challenges they face in the future, as long as they are together, they can always face them optimistically. And these happy scenes precisely contrast with the loneliness and helplessness of the four when they are alone in the present scenes. One of the important turning points in the film is when the youngest sister Beth (Eliza Scanlen) falls seriously ill again. At this time, Jo remembers when Beth was seriously ill before, and the two sat on the beach chatting while the fine sand scattered in the wind. Although this scene is a flashback and should have an optimistic feeling, it looks very desolate, as if hinting that their lives will scatter and become impermanent, which is also an inevitable stage of growth. Returning to the present scenes, Beth ultimately passes away due to illness, which again brings a strong contrast between the two timelines. However, the story does not end in sorrow. After experiencing separation, the remaining three daughters of the March family finally reunite. Even though the family is no longer complete, as long as they are together, the future is still optimistic and hopeful.

The film has a large cast, with almost every role played by the biggest stars in Hollywood. Actors like Timothée Chalamet, Meryl Streep, and Chris Cooper, although with limited screen time, are very eye-catching. And the most dazzling actors in the film are undoubtedly the protagonist Saoirse Ronan and supporting actress Florence Pugh, who brilliantly portray both the strength and fragility of women. Among them, the scene that impressed me most with the former is when she cuts off her hair for her family, seemingly very strong, but then cries because of it. This is her second collaboration with director Greta Gerwig, bringing the audience a very three-dimensional and convincing young female character, which once again proves the unparalleled sensitivity of female directors in creating and presenting female characters compared to male directors. On the other hand, Florence Pugh, as one of the most watched young actresses in recent years, plays Amy in the film, a character full of transformation, from a wild girl who burned her sister's novel over a small matter in childhood to a somewhat cold teenager who hides her emotions deeply. Her performance is full of layers, and her magnetic voice lingers. In the film, both she and her sister Meg (Emma Watson) choose to marry, but what they pursue is not stability or money, but true love. The film seems to have a bit of criticism of marriage in that era, but their stories precisely carry a different meaning – women have the right to choose whether to marry and whom to marry.

This story has been around for over a hundred years and has been adapted into films many times. I believe it will be adapted into a film again in the future. I hope that by then, times will have changed, society will continue to progress, and women all over the world will have choices and equal treatment.

Trailer:

Synopsis:

Writer-director Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird) has crafted a Little Women that draws on both the classic novel and the writings of Louisa May Alcott, and unfolds as the author’s alter ego, Jo March, reflects back and forth on her fictional life. In Gerwig’s take, the beloved story of the March sisters – four young women each determined to live life on her own terms -- is both timeless and timely.

Photo and Source: Sony Pictures