Greta Gerwig: Redefining the Role of Women in Film

By Marisa Cutillas

She is the kind of actor you cannot take your eyes off and fittingly, she is often called ‘the modern Catherine Deneuve’ owing to her blend of elegance, beauty, and charisma. Having become so besotted by Frances Ha (which costars the magnificent Adam Driver), I was pleased to discover that the director – Noah Baumbach – is actually her life partner and father of her baby. Baumbach has a long list of highly acclaimed films including Marriage Story, The Squid and the Whale, and Kicking and Screaming. His films are intensely personal and all boast dialogues that seem to have been improvised rather than written. Baumbach has the knack of luring the audience in with what initially seem like comedic, light, entertaining tales. However, he leaves many small, subtle clues that awaken the viewer’s sensitivity and empathy for his characters.

But we digress. This post is all about Greta Gerwig – someone who surprised us when, in 2017, she directed a seemingly ‘small’ film that landed Oscar nominations for Best Film, Director, and Original screenplay (Greta also wrote the script) – Lady Bird. Greta admits to drawing from her own life, thus the sardonic ‘realness’ that inhabits characters such as the protagonist, played by Saoirse Ronan. Lady Bird, a small town girl who dreams of attending college in New York, has many things standing in her way – including a critical yet loving mother who incessantly tries to ground her daughter and convince her to accept life (and her possibilities) as they are.

Lady Bird

Lady Bird has some great quotes in it; many critics have called it the ultimate coming-of-age film for Generation Z-ers. “It’s not important to be right, it’s only important to be true,” says Father Leviatch – a sensitive priest who is battling depression while directing a musical in the Catholic school Lady Bird attends. Another great moment is when a school nun reads Lady Bird’s essay and asks, “Don’t you think maybe they are the same thing? Love and attention?” It is a defining question for the young teen, who realises how far her fantasies have taken her from the people who matter – including her overworked mother and her depressed best friend.

Frances Ha

Because Greta portrays modern life so well, it was perhaps surprising to find that her next film was a remake of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. The book was a huge classic and was brought to the big screen a total of six times! My favourite was always the original – the 1949 version starring June Allyson as Jo – and I admit to being reticent to watch yet another remake. I shouldn’t have underestimated Greta Gerwig.

Her version reads between the lines while remaining true to the book – again, a very difficult balancing act. Greta adds a wonderfully modern feminist touch, primarily by doing an about-face with the most hated character of all time: Amy March. You may recall that in past films, Amy was always portrayed as the least virtuous of all the March sisters, since her intention was simply to marry a rich man and ‘live off the fat of the land’. For the first time ever, we have a deeper understanding of Amy and, when she finally captures the heart of Laurie (whom everyone is hoping will get together with Jo, the oldest sister), you will find it hard to refrain from applauding. Greta managed this coup through a magnificent script and arguably the coolest ‘alternative’ performer of the times – Florence Pugh, an English actor who some are already touting as a young Meryl Streep.

Many other great actors are in the film – an impeccable Saoirse Ronan as Jo March, Emma Watson as Meg, Timothée Chalamet as Laurie, and Meryl Streep as Aunt March. The scenes between Ronan and Chalamet are electric as always (these two also co-starred in Lady Bird) but what really makes the film tick is Greta Gerwig’s vision. Some of the scenes seem to recreate famous paintings like Joaquin Sorolla’s Walk on the Beach; others celebrate the beauty of architecture and landscaping in a subtle yet meaningful way. At the end of the film, Greta once again surprises us with one subtle scene suggesting that Jo March’s life doesn’t end as it does in the book she is writing. Louisa May Alcott was said to be frustrated by her publisher’s insistence that Jo March get married at the end. Greta pays homage to Alcott’s true wishes by giving the audience the desired happy ending while suggesting an alternative reality. After publishing her book, Jo looks out of the window at her publisher’s office with an expression that suggests that she could have actually remained true to herself and pursued the life of a writer, without marrying anyone.

Greta is said to be working on a musical currently, and while she refused to give further details, she did say, “One thing I feel that the world is really missing right now is tap dancing. I’m just going to say that.” One little sentence is enough to pique our curiosity and patiently wait, since we know that her work offers something that so few box office hits do: truth in all its funny, painful, and inevitable complexity.