Plot: What’s it about?
Since her husband is off serving his country, Marmee March (Susan Sarandon) is left to tend for the family all alone. And with four daughters, that is no easy task, especially these four little women. With their mother and aunt to watch over them, these four girls experience many aspects of life, some joyful and some sorrowful. The girls may fall in love, have their hearts broken, or lose some close to them, but as long as they can keep a place for their loved ones inside their hearts, they’ll always be together. While the four girls are sisters, they certainly are different from one another. Meg (Trini Alvarado) is a mother’s dream, conservative and ladylike, who wants a normal life, with a loving husband and children, and then there’s Amy (played by Kirsten Dunst and Samantha Mathis at different ages), who longs to be swept off her feet by a debonair man. Beth (Claire Danes) may be frail and usually ill, but that doesn’t stop her from living life the best she can, and then there’s Jo (Winona Ryder), who aspires to do more than be a housewife, she wants to be a writer. With these four very different styles, arguments are bound to happen, and they do. But after all the tears, smiles, and love, will these little women be able to make their dreams come true?
Louisa May Alcott novel has seen a few iterations to the screen (both big and small). While this is a movie geared toward the female demographic, I think anyone who seeks powerful acting and a moving storyline will want to screen this movie. Sure, this is one of those movies it seems like only women would like, but the attention to detail and superb casting will make a believer out of anyone. The acting is first rate, and the sets and costumes also reveal how much care was taken when producing this film. This is a period piece, so the details pay off with a very realistic feel, which drives the movie’s tone and mood. While the writing is based on established material, I am glad to see the emphasis placed on the family bond, not on some other subject. This keeps the novel’s ideas in check, which in turn makes the movie that much better. I recommend this movie very, very highly, as the performances and attention to detail are amazing. If you’re skeptical, a rental should ease your mind, but with a disc like this, a purchase, even sight unseen, is a wise idea. I hope Sony continues to update their early releases like this.
Gillian Armstrong is the director of this movie, and she seems to know what she’s doing, as the actors turn in marvelous performances, the production design is outstanding, and the cinematography is above average. While she does have several other movies under her belt, most of them are lower profile films. A brief sampling of her resume includes Mrs. Soffel, Fires Within, and High Tide. As far as the cast goes, this is one of the finest ensemble performances I have seen, bringing the emotion and subtle power of the novel to life on film. Winona Ryder (Girl, Interrupted and The Crucible) is inspiring here, I feel this is her best work to date, showing her talents off quite well. Also we get a look at a then unknown actor by the name of Christian Bale. I wonder what ever became of him?
Video: How does it look?
Little Women is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. As has become the norm with Sony, the visual transfer is excellent, if not reference then damn close to it. The colors are warm and rich, inside a natural color spectrum, so the image appears as it would in real life, no over jazzed hues to be found. The contrast levels are perfect, with no detail loss at all and well rendered shadows. I couldn’t find any compression errors, and even print flaws are hard to find on this wonderful transfer. Sony’s 4K discs are second to none and this is certainly no exception.
Audio: How does it sound?
This disc uses a DTS HD Master Audio track for audio, and the track creates a very warm and enveloping mix. The audio is driven by dialogue, but the musical score is excellent and sets the tone for many scenes. While the subject matter doesn’t require a pulse pounding audio experience, the track is outstanding for this type of material. The surrounds see action on frequent cases, and the dialogue is clear and consistent.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Audio Commentary – The commentary by Gillian Armstrong is filled with information on the making of the movie. While there are some long pauses, most of the track is active, with Gillian’s interesting perspectives on her film.
- Making-of Featurette – The obligatory “Making of…” featurette is found with some talking heads, sound bites and some overall commentary on the film.
- Deleted Scenes – A gallery of deleted scenes is also found here, and these can be viewed with the director’s commentary as well.
- Costume and Design Featurette – This is pretty self-explanatory, we see a gallery of the costume design along with some behind the scenes footage and some drawings of the various wardrobes seen in the film.
- Theatrical Trailer
The Bottom Line
There are two “modern” interpretations of Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel, some might prefer this one and others might prefer the 2019 version. While it’s nice to see this one get the 4K treatment, it’s not on my “must see” list again anytime soon. Others might think differently. The supplements from the previous special edition have made the cut and the A/V specs are certainly a marked improvement over the original.
