Greta Gerwig is an american filmmaker/actress who's come into the spotlight over recent years. The 36 year old has only written and directed seven films so far but she's proudly introduced us to stories starring strong female characters.
Women are often misrepresented in film, with a distinct lack of a female lead characters in comparison to men. Bond girls are the side kicks to famous film character James Bond, the Bond girls are heavily sexualised and objectified. The lack of women in film compared to men is evident but times are changing and women are gradually given a fair share of the spotlight. For the most part women are successfully welcomed into film, previously I wrote about Hereditary(2018) and Midsommar(2019) both of which happen to have the two main characters as women. However, recently Rian Johnson and J.J Abrams faced a lot of backlash recently for the character Rey in the new Start Wars sequels. Many believe Rey, portrayed by Daisy Ridley, was 'overpowered' and deemed her to be 'poorly written'. I believe this is because the two writers and the studio Disney were desperate to inject feminism into their franchise and they made her too strong, with no faults and no growing character arc.
That's not to say there aren't beloved female characters in film. Wonder-Woman, Princess Leia(Star Wars), Ellen Ripley(Alien) and Sarah Connor(Terminator) are all legendary and beloved by fans across different generations. The thing all four have in common is that they're all strong female characters that can inspire young people and be figures for them to grow up admiring. These characters are loved by men and women alike.
There is a distinct lack of female directors in Hollywood more so than absence of actresses which is a massive shame. Classic films The Hurt Locker and American Psycho were both directed by women however, and Greta Gerwig is a fairly new director who I think has a big future.
The film that really brought Greta into the spotlight was titled 'Lady Bird'. Lady Bird is a coming of age film starring Saoirse Ronan who won the Golden Globe for Best Actress a long with the film which won Best Motion Picture. The story is of a girl in high school who's ambitious and always seeking adventure, a character that makes you thing and could even inspire you to do more to get what you want in life. Lady Bird showcases Gerwig's film making potential and could even become a cult classic for the new generation in years to come.
Little Women is Greta Gerwig's biggest film and in my opinion her best. Little Women is a novel originally published as far back as 1868, there have been many adaptations of the book with 6 films already out at the time of writing. I'm not going to pretend like I've seen all the other little women films or even read the book (poor research I know) but I can safely say Gerwig does a fantastic job. There's an immediate outburst of charm to this film, the characters are warm and it feels like you know them from the get go, it's as if you're apart of this group of family and friends and it sucks you into their lives brilliantly. The chemistry between all the cast members is fantastic on and off screen and you can see in interviews that Greta's relationship to the cast is such a big factor into making this film so enjoyable. Another stand out thing about this film is how Greta masters large scenes. There are several scenes where multiple actors are moving around the screen at the same time and the choreography is spot on. Little Women is mostly about the treatment of women at the time.
“Women have minds and souls as well as just hearts, and they’ve got ambition and talent as well as just beauty. And I’m sick of people saying love is all a woman is fit for.” - Jo March Little Women(2019).
The story tackles the issues women faced and still face today to some extent. and all the female characters are strong, smart and and independent, whilst also showing the values of family and sticking together, having each others backs at all times.
The improvement in recent years is slow but Hollywood and major films are becoming more diverse as time moves on. Directors seem to be rightly moving with the times which will help more people learn and understand that we should all be equal, no matter who you are. Greta Gerwig is a director who can lead a new age for female directors and writers and bring something new onto our big screens.
Written By Alfie Hoy
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