A Review of Little Women

Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3281548/

IMDB

Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3281548/

Clare M. '23

About three weeks ago, I saw Little Women for the first time. I immediately fell in love with the costumes and storyline. It was truly a cinematic masterpiece, and one I will remember forever. 

The story of Little Women is based on the classic novel by Louisa May Alcott follows the four March sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, and their family during the Civil War era. The family lives next to the wealthy Mr. Laurence, who has a grandson, Laurie. The five children go on many adventures. The movie also shows the character’s adult life, with many flashbacks to their childhood. 

One thing that is so special about this movie is its ability to make these situations and stories feel so real. All of the fight scenes and tender moments are so relatable for modern day siblings, even though these stories were written in the 1800s. For example, Jo states over and over again how she will never forgive Amy for burning her novel.Then, when Amy falls into the pond, Jo blames herself. I think this is such a relatable scene for most families. Everyone is so quick to get mad at eachother, but the second someone is in danger we realize how much we love them. 

Another way Little Women is successful is in its directing. The director of the film, Greta Gerwig, did a phenomenal job. It was really easy to tell when the flashbacks were because of the mood and lighting. The film was also very aesthetically pleasing, with the costumes and lighting.  She has previously directed the Oscar nominated film, Lady Bird, further proving her credibility.  

The pacing and script was amazing. I didn’t feel like many things were out of place. Everything happened for a reason, and it truly payed off, giving us this amazing story. For example, the death of Beth pushed the characters and helped them become stronger, even though it was extremely sad.

Little Women was also a success with its casting and characters. Every actor and actress felt right. It seemed there was a lot of consideration that went into casting these different people. Timothee Chalmet and Saoirse Roanan had amazing performances, really enhancing the ability the plot line has to relate to an average family. It even tested the actors ability, with them having to play different ages of their character. A connection between the audience and the family in the movie is pulled off seamlessly. 

Another thing I really liked from Little Women was its costume design. Like I mentioned previously, this film takes place during the Civil War era. Even if you didn’t know the exact time period, you could definitely guess from the outfits. I think this is what a costume designer should be able to do: immersing the viewer in the story. The dresses were so pretty, and they even made me wish it was still socially acceptable to wear them. 

All of these things considered, there is one flaw I found with the movie: I thought that the marriage of Jo March  and Professor Bhaer was a little out of place for the film. In the actual novel, the marriage was worked into the story in a much more convincing way. It really felt like it belonged in the book version. I still liked the ending of the movie, I just think it could have been executed a little better. During the whole movie, Jo states over and over again about how she doesn’t want to get married. It just felt a little weird to have her marry a man that she barely even talked about or acknowledged. I felt like it was the right decision to have them marry, and I understand why they had to keep it in,  but it just could have been carried out a bit better. 

Overall, I thought that Little Women was an absolute masterpiece. From its great acting to its amazing costume design, it really makes you feel like you’re in the story. I definitely recommend everyone who hasn’t seen it to go watch it. It is planned to be released on Netflix on April 7, 2020.