Affected by the new crown pneumonia, February's theatrical films have been withdrawn one after another. Among them, the most unfortunate is a blockbuster adapted from a famous novel and praised by the whole network . 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, 92% on Popcorn, and 91 on MetaCritic.
I believe that everyone who lives in the house is surrounded by a dark mood. I hope this movie with countless praises can bring you some strength and warmth——
little woman
Little Women
Director: Greta Gerwig Writers: Greta Gerwig, Louisa May Alcott Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Timothy Chalamet, Florence ·Pew / Emma Watson Release date: 2019-12-25 (US) Duration: 134 minutes
The film is directed by Greta Gerwig . This tall woman who has performed dazzlingly in many independently produced literary films such as "Francis Ha" is a well-deserved talent. Two years ago, she was nominated for several core Oscars for her first filming ("Miss Bird" was nominated for best picture, director, actress and original screenplay) . Now, she and her boyfriend Noah Baumbach ("Marriage Story") are both shortlisted.
The excellent record of "Miss Bird" also contributed to the overall upgrade of the cast of this film. In terms of starring, as the hottest new-generation actors in Hollywood, the "Shacha" sisters and brothers have reunited this time, which undoubtedly provides the biggest attraction of the film. After two years of separate experience, the performance of the two has become more and more proficient. On the screen, "Miss Bird" continues in another, more heartbreaking form. Off the screen, the intimate interaction between these two close friends is always full of cuteness and sweetness. With them, the tense awards season is also a lot of joy.
The supporting cast of the film is also quite impressive. Laura Dern , who has won the Golden Globe Award four times and won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress this year with "Marriage Story" , is the main actor. There is also a powerful actress "Aunt Mei" who holds three golden statues in her hands and is willing to be a green leaf. As for the face value, it is Emma Watson , who grew up beautifully , and Louis Garrel, a French lover with a sculpted face .
In addition to these familiar names, the 24-year-old Oscar nominee and Hollywood rising star Florence Pugh also deserves continued attention. She has starred in "The Drummer" and "A Midsummer Night's Fright", showing a mature temperament and superb acting skills beyond her age. In the upcoming "Black Widow" independent film, she made a stunning appearance as the "widow sister" sister, and the future is promising.
With a reliable cast, the film has succeeded 1/3. The next step is to see how well writer-director Greta gets her job done. When it comes to the plot of "Little Women", everyone should be familiar with it. First published in 1868, this novel was written by American woman writer Louisa May Alcott .
It takes the Civil War as the background, and tells a female story about ideals, love and life choices through the ordinary and extraordinary growth of the four sisters of the March family in New England . In order to restore the style and atmosphere of the 19th century to the greatest extent, Greta specially invited Oscar regular Jacqueline Duran ("Atonement" and " Darkest Hour") to be responsible for the costume styling of the film, bringing a pleasing to the audience. visual feast. In the just-concluded 92nd Academy Awards, "Little Women" also won Jacqueline's second best costume design award after "Anna Karenina".
In fact, since the birth of the film, "Little Women" has undergone many trials of film and television adaptation. Golden age superstars Katherine Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Janet Leigh and others have all participated in different versions of "Little Women". Among the many remakes, the version directed by female director Gillian Armstrong in 1994 is the most recognized.
Objectively speaking, there are many similarities between the 2019 version and the 1994 version. They are also from the hands of female directors, and have the same exquisite costumes and the same popular and high-level cast. But the two films are also different. Even with the 94th edition of Pearl and Jade in front, Greta still managed to innovate on multiple levels, which surprised me the most.
Compared with the original literature and all previous screen versions, the most intuitive breakthrough of the new version of "Little Women" lies in the narrative structure. Greta's creative use of non-linear narrative organization threads gives this household story a new dimension. As soon as the film started, the timeline was pushed straight to "seven years later" in the original book. By then, the second sister Joe (Saoirse Ronan ) has met like-minded Professor Barr (Louis Garrel) in New York .
Younger sister Amy (Florence Pugh) and March's "fifth sister" Laurie (Timothy Chalamet) are in Paris together. A wedding is approaching, a decadent life. Stay home big sister Meg (Emma Watson decorated) with the third sister Bess (Eliza Scanlon decorated) life is much worse. The former married woman had to face the reality of the four walls of the family. The latter, who has been frail and sick since childhood, has also deteriorated further, and there is not much time left.
After learning about the incident, Qiao, who was teaching abroad and supporting her family, had to rush home to take care of her dying sister. On her way back to her hometown, memories of the past flooded into her mind, and scenes from the past also emerged one by one. From beginning to end, the film maintains the narrative rhythm of alternate interpretations of the present and the past, telling the story of the seven years of right and wrong.
The move was "cruel" to the audience. On the one hand, audiences who do not understand the plot will be forced to be surrounded by complex information and confusing time and space. It is not easy to clarify the relationship between the characters and the narrative context. On the other hand, when the joyous "seven years ago" and the miserable "seven years later" are repeatedly juxtaposed, no one can resist the bleak contrast. You will find that when Joe rushes home with his luggage alone, he is greeted by the March sisters who walked together seven years ago.
You'll also see her troubling down the stairs twice. But in that same spot, seven years later, Beth disappeared. The former four sisters lived in a small apartment, living in poverty but full of laughter. They have had awkward fights and quarrels. But most of the time, they hugged each other tightly and cherished each other.
Granted, growing up is not a bad thing. But when they grow up, they have to go their separate ways and cannot be reunited again. If other versions of "Little Women" reproduce the whole process of the growth of the four sisters in their original form. Then, the new version of "Little Women" tells the helplessness and sadness of life all the time .
It focuses more on the brewing of emotions than the unfolding of the plot. Through the editing style of "Little Women", I can vaguely glimpse the shadow of "Miss Bird" - still light, still detached; still don't mind whether the clues are complete and clear; still the longest to grasp the state of mind of the protagonist.
But while imprinting the author's mark, Greta's bold editing method has also attracted a lot of controversy. There are not a few people who think that its methods are too complicated and are not conducive to understanding the plot. I also think that this risky move really needs to be considered and can be improved. However, for the film's ingenious open-ended ending, everyone's evaluation is basically the same. As the most subversive and groundbreaking design of the new version of "Little Women", it not only conforms to the current reality, but also constitutes a purer, more straightforward and more modern expression of feminism.
In the original and previous film and television remakes, Joe ended up marrying Professor Barr without exception. But after some adaptations by Greta, Joe's fate became a question mark. At the beginning and end of the whole film, she set up two scenes in which Joe negotiated with the bookseller. It not only forms the nesting in the narrative sense, but also completes the reference to the original author Louisa.
The dialogue between the two is real and humorous. Booksellers value sales and care about the orientation of the public. So, when they first met, he reminded Joe that if the protagonist of the novel was a girl, she had to make sure that by the end of the story, she would either get married or die . This is the ending that most readers can accept.
For the smooth publication of the book, Joe followed his advice and rewrote the fate of the protagonist. Immediately afterwards, the camera turned, and Qiao, who had just said goodbye to the professor at the door of his house, immediately came to the train station, and finally married the professor in the rain. The booksellers were so pleased with this, they named the chapter "Under the Umbrella." And that is the title of the corresponding chapter in the book Little Women. Louisa, Joe, and Joe's protagonists are always the same person.
The original book "Little Women" is strongly autobiographical, and almost everyone knows it. Since Louisa, who has never been married, is Joe's prototype, then Joe's marriage to the professor is obviously just the result of the publisher's coordination, not Louisa's original intention. And Greta was the first director to bring it up. She filmed the process of communicating between Joe and the bookseller, didn't she just want to tell us - wouldn't the real Joe and Louisa in the real world choose marriage?
At the end of the film, the pictures of the printing and binding of the book "Little Women" appear together with the wonderful life of the March family. Eventually, as the parents, sisters, and lovers in the background fade away, all we can see is Jo and the precious publication in her arms. For Louisa, literature and freedom are far more important than love and marriage. So I think the new Little Women is the most faithful to Louisa's true thoughts to date. Greta weakens the growth history of the four sisters, but highlights Louisa's beliefs and pursuits. This semi-open ending is the most honest return to the original and the smartest point.
Of course, the feminist expression of the new Little Women goes beyond the setting of the ending. The reason why the original book can promote the awakening of female consciousness is not only because of what Louisa has done, but more because of her vivid depiction of the March sisters. Among the four sisters, Joe is the character who spends the most time. She is brave, magnanimous, loves to write, full of heroic spirit, and can be called the most unforgettable independent woman in the history of literature. In every version of the film and television remake, Joe's casting is a top priority. The greatest actresses in American film history, Katharine Hepburn, and the sweet, elf-like Winona Ryder have all played the role successfully.
This time, the burden fell on Saoirse Ronan . When Winona's version of "Little Women" came out, Ronan was still a swaddle. After 25 years, she has transformed into one of the most promising young actors in the English-speaking world. Under the direction of Greta, its lively rendition gives 19th-century Joe a new-age soul .
No actor fits the role better than Ronan. She has a face that is both quiet and flamboyant, classical and agile. When she ran happily on the crowded street, her skirt and hair swayed slightly. It felt as if the luck of the whole world was upon him. No one can dislike this bright and determined girl, no one can ignore her aura, tenacity and good acting skills.
Greta sees her as a wizard, genius and treasure, calling her " my partner, my muse, my heart ". Her performance is also worthy of the director's praise. Ronan's explosiveness is best illustrated by two relatively complete passages in the film, when she and Professor Barr are arguing over the literature she's written, and when she rejects Laurie's courtship.
Interestingly, in my opinion, these two scenes are exactly what makes the character of Joe come to life. Arguing with the professor, she is defending herself as an author; rejecting Laurie, she is defending herself as an independent woman. The combination of the author and the independent woman is her ideal identity composition. She worked so hard for it, even the people she loved couldn't stop this enthusiasm.
At the same time, from another perspective, these two scenes also enriched Joe's personality. You know, despite being the protagonist, she is by no means perfect. She doesn't have a nearly flawless personality like Beth. She would also get irritated and rude to professors who rejected her work; she also admitted that she was a clumsy girl who would embarrass Laurie. After all, when she visited someone's mansion for the first time, she just lay down on the sofa carelessly, without any scruples.
However, more than a century later, she is still the most inspiring woman to readers. Pissed off with the professor, she said, " No one ever forgets Joe March ". Persuading Laurie to give up, she said, " I'm so happy now, I don't believe I'll get married ."
In the past, subject to the discipline of the outside world, Louisa could not let her do whatever she wanted. But today, Greta allows her youthful, frivolous promises to come true. We are finally relieved to see that she holds "Little Women" and becomes the self she has been looking forward to.
After talking about Joe, let's look at the other sisters. The film reasonably allocates the weights and proportions of different roles, retains the highlight moments of each character, and outlines the group portraits of energetic women . Beth is sweet, shy, and kind-hearted. Even without the supervision of his mother, he insisted on visiting the Hummel family and contracted scarlet fever.
Meg is the eldest in the family. She is steady and generous. She has done stupid things because of her vanity, but she never thought of walking away, leaving her husband and children behind. Emma Watson doesn't have many scenes, but there is one line that makes an impression. On her wedding day, Joe almost paranoid prevented her from marrying. Just because in her mind, her sister should be an actor who is active on the stage; just because in her value system, marriage is far from a dream. But Meg's response was: " My dream isn't the same as yours, which doesn't mean it's unimportant. "
Yes, there is no distinction between high and low dreams. You can pursue independence, but learn to respect the decisions of others. Just like the demands of feminism are not diametrically opposed to the sexes. But every girl can have the freedom to embrace her own choice .
The new version of "Little Women" also corrects the name of the little sister Amy to a certain extent. This character has always been unpleasant before, but this time it shines and is admirable. She is a little domineering and a little worldly, but she is also clear-headed and mature.
She clearly understands how difficult the status quo is for women, but suffers from not being able to make a difference. She also criticized Laurie more than once for letting her go, spurring her beloved boy to regain his purpose in life. She also struggled to squeeze into high society and was not at all ashamed of it. Because my aunt said that she is the future of the whole family. But at the last moment, she rejected the marriage proposal of the rich young master and chose Laurie, who had been in love for many years.
She has a dexterity and sanity that her three older sisters do not possess. Passionate about art but knowing that he is not talented enough, he simply switched to his love and grasped the happiness within reach. If you can't leave everything behind like Joe and keep moving forward, perhaps Amy, who is swaying and moving forward and backward, is also a good example to follow.
Finally, based on the deep relationship between Ronan and Tiancha, the classic " difficulty in peace " in the story has to be mentioned. The relationship between Joe and Laurie is presented as unprecedentedly intimate with the addition of the "Shacha" friendship filter. He ignored the charred skirt and invited her to dance in the moonlight. She got down on one knee and gave him a beautiful ring. Holding hands, they spin, fall, and laugh on the ice. They crossed shoulders and left their footprints on every field and beach.
I remember that Ronan once revealed in an interview that in the film, the two of them fight each other and don't distinguish between you and me is completely their daily life on the set. The only difference is that Sweet Tea will not pester Ronan and ask her to marry him. But the number of readers and viewers who want Joe and Laurie together is endless. After reading the manuscript, even the bookseller asked a soulful question: Why didn't she marry him?
On the surface, the two are really a good match. They both hate pomp and contempt for stereotypes. It is because of this that they can play together. For a long time, people have tried to decipher the characters of two people, trying to prove that they are not suitable for marriage. However, I feel that suitability is the second priority , and Joe Da's heartfelt acceptance of marriage is the core of the problem.
In the book, Joe sees Laurie simply as a playmate and brother. In the new version of "Little Women", the plot of Qiao's "repentance" when she was hit is just to tell people that she is strong and self-reliant, and she also has a vulnerable and helpless side.
But when the storm passes, she doesn't need to rely on anyone. With only thought, talent, ambition, and a pair of paper and pen, she can live this life with pride. So, none of us have to feel sorry for Joe or Louisa. Something like this has to be done by someone. Don't forget, from the 19th century when the original book "Little Women" was published to today, when the film and television version of "Little Women" is endless, it is the persistence of generations of Joes and Louisa, who have given more and more Girls have the right to "love what I love".
*The author of this article: kiwi
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