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Gillian Armstrong's beautifully cast and played adaptation of Little Women is a classic |
Director: Gillian Armstrong
Cast: Winona Ryder (Jo March), Gabriel Byrne (Friedrich
Bhaer), Trini Alvarado (Meg March), Kirsten Dunst (Young Amy March), Samantha
Mathis (Amy March), Claire Danes (Beth March), Susan Sarandon (Marmee March),
Christian Bale (Theodore Laurence), Eric Stoltz (John Brooke), John Neville (Mr
Laurence), Mary Wickes (Aunt March)

In Massachusetts during the American Civil War, the March
sisters live with their mother (Susan Sarandon): sensible Meg (Trini Alvarado),
tomboyish Jo (Winona Ryder), gentle Beth (Claire Danes) and temperamental Amy
(Kirsten Dunst). While their father is away fighting, the girls grow up and
experience the highs and lows of life and love, while never losing sight of the
strong bond that holds them together.
Not only is it impossible to imagine another production
besting this, I can’t imagine another creating so many “something in my eye”
moments as this film manages. Gillian Armstrong’s tender direction gets a
guaranteed emotional response from the audience every time, largely because she
keeps the film simple, focused and doesn’t overegg the emotion. She recognises
the story itself carries delicious highs and heartbreaking lows – and lets
these moments speak for themselves. From its opening moments, establishing the
girls’ love of theatricals and their own private “Pickwick club”, you know you
are in the safe hands of people who fully understand the novel.
It’s a film which plays it very, very simple and lets the
beauty of the moments speak for themselves. Many work perfectly: no less than
three times I felt myself welling up, from the presentation of Mr Laurence’s
piano to Beth, to Beth’s tragic death, to the final scenes between Jo and
Professor Bhaer. Each of these moments is quite simply perfectly played and
carry a major emotional wallop. It’s because Armstrong sets out a film that is
totally straight, and a completely loving and respectful adaptation of Alcott’s
novel. Armstrong, and adapter Robin Swicord, also build a profound, focused
story of growing up and learning to adjust to loss and the changes life brings
us. Focusing on this creates a very clear journey in the movie – as well as a
story anyone who has had any life experiences is going to respond to.
Part of the reason why the film is such a complete success
is the superb playing from a cast without a weak link among it. The four March
sisters genuinely feel like people who have grown up together, so strong are
the bonds of chemistry between them. I’d also hugely commend Armstrong and
Swicord for so skilfully establishing the different personalities of the
sisters – within the opening few minutes you’ll feel like you know all their
personalities exactly (a task utterly failed by a recent three-part BBC
adaptation).
In the lead role, it’s scintillating to watch Winona Ryder
and remember what a superb, heartfelt and gloriously expressive actress she is.
Vulnerable but also tomboyish, boisterous and also tender, she brilliantly
captures Jo and her semi-bohemian, semi-homespun yearnings, and her passionate
love for a life different from the
traditional. Ryder also has such wonderful skill with conveying emotion – at
several key moments, waves of emotion seem to pass over her face in careful micro-expressions.
Several moments carry the weight that they do, because Ryder sells them so
well.
Her three sisters are equally well-cast. If she has a rival
for skill of expression and conveying depth of emotion it’s Claire Danes, who
is astonishingly good as the gentle Beth (hard to believe she was only 15 at
the time!). Danes’ simple joy and her gentle, unassuming love for those around
her really hit home. Danes’ joyful warmth makes Beth’s acceptance of the piano
from Mr Laurence a beautiful moment, while her tender humanity makes her death
incredibly moving. Kirstin Dunst is superb as the young Amy – part brattish
pre-teen, part excitable child. Her sudden horror when she realises the gravity
of burning Jo’s book again helps this moment work so well. Trini Alvarado has
the less interesting part, but her grounded, calm, proper and gentle
performance as Meg balances the work of the sisters really well, and Alvarado
demonstrates she has real empathy for the role.
The rest of the cast are equally good. Samantha Mathis
(taking over the older Amy) delivers an excellent portrayal of a woman keen to
head into the world. Susan Sarandon is perfect as a wonderfully loving, all-knowing
mother. Christian Bale is perfect as the playboyish Teddy, full of playful
fire. John Neville sells a few crucial scenes as a humane Mr Laurence. Gabriel
Byrne is certainly far more handsome than his literary counterpart, but he’s so
wonderfully gentle, caring and kind that it hardly matters: the relationship
between him and Jo is beautifully judged.
Beautifully judged basically sums up the whole thing: there
is not a bum note in this whole film. Armstrong and Swicord nail every single
decision. Armstrong’s direction is outstanding: a brilliant example is the
gently, unbearably sad sequence of sprinkling roses in Beth’s room after her
death – it’s so simply done but incredibly moving. The film is crammed with
moments like this, beautifully scored by Thomas Newman. Swicord’s script is
marvellous, and it successfully draws out the feminist message of the book,
without hammering the points: it gently flags up the lack of opportunities
often available for women at the time, but also celebrates the contribution
they can make.
Little Women is a
simply superb piece of adaptation, and a deeply affecting and heart-warming
film. Only a film that lets you invest in the characters as much as this, could
move you as much as it does. When Ryder smiles, you feel your whole world light
up. When Danes cries with joy you feel your heart sing. When tragedy comes you
feel like you’ve had a loss yourself. The story is superbly streamlined, each
character is perfectly established, the relationships between them all are so
wonderfully done – you can’t help but fall in love with it. If it had been a
film about men it would have been littered with Oscar nominations. As it is,
despite the sexism of the Academy, it’s a film you’ll treasure and return to
again and again.
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