Watched in the cinema

I was a little surprised when it became known that Greta Gerwig was filming "Little Women". The artist of all people, who in her screenplay (Frances Ha) as well as in her directorial debut "Lady Bird" created original, strong-willed, modern women, is filming the now over 150-year-old classic by Louisa May Alcott? What for? It has been adapted several times before, in Germany the 1994 version and the anime series "A Happy Family" are probably best known. Another version seemed somehow superfluous, a waste of even Gerwig's great talent, which so far told universal and unique stories.

Luckily, "Little Women" is more than just another costume movie, that wants to attract a correspondingly inclined audience with big emotions and big names. However, at first glance the drama might not be that different from other titles. The movie is packed with well-known, attractive actors and actresses, who live in idyllic houses or big villas, wear elegant clothes and always have to struggle with romantic entanglements, sometimes even with other obstacles they somehow have to overcome in order to find happiness in the end. And even to bring happiness themselves, after all, the people out there in front of the screens want to leave the cinema with a soul.

Partly, the movie fulfills these very conditions. But partly it doesn't either. Gerwig, it soon becomes clear that she loves the book, loves the story and the characters, but she didn't miss the chance to change and modernize everything a little bit. The most striking change is that she does without the chronology of events. Instead, she jumps back and forth in time again and again, for example, right at the beginning she addresses a scene that is only shown towards the end of the film. At first, this is a bit confusing, both for connoisseurs of the original and newcomers. But the trick pays off: On the one hand, it adds some more variety to the movie, and on the other hand it also leads to "Little Women" adding some cross references, which show us the classic from a new perspective.

The second noteworthy innovation is the framework plot around Jo, who wants to sell her stories to support the family. This allows Gerwig to tell even more about women and their struggles in a male-dominated world, so to speak, via the back door - a topic Gerwig herself has to struggle with again and again. Anyway: Little Women may play in the 19th century, but it still has a lot to say about gender injustice and the search for self-determination. All four sisters have turned to the arts - Jo writes, Meg acts, Amy paints, Beth makes music - but they have to realize that this is no livelihood. They either adapt to male standards, let themselves be endured by them or give up their ambitions altogether. For a woman, reason meant voluntarily playing second fiddle and making herself useful in other ways. "Little Women" criticizes this, of course, but does so without raising an index finger.

Gerwig shows a great talent here for packing heavy topics easily, often taking a bit of humour into it. Especially the quarrels between Jo and the men are always a source of amusement, not least because Ronan - who already had the leading role in Lady Bird - once again shines as a tomboy.

Anyway, the cast is so fabulous that you have to be very reserved in order not to get too enthusiastic. Whether Ronan and Chalamet dance with each other in a rousing way, Laura Dern provides warm moments or Meryl Streep gives the ossified but ultimately well-meaning aunt, in the two hours one highlight follows the next. It's a bit of a pity that not all characters are so complex, especially the men have some that are obviously only there to stand around as decoration.

Nonetheless, the movie is a triumph for Gerwig as well as her ensemble, and despite the lack of any awards so far the Award Season will be one of the best of this year.