Review of Little Women (1933) by Kevin R — 06 Feb 2013

This is an undeniable classic especially considering Katherine Hepburn was practically born to play the role of Jo March. She is perfection in this film as are the ensemble cast for the most part. Douglass Montgomery threw me off guard as the lovable character Laurie. Having seen the 1994 remake before either of the older versions I had the Christian Bale Laurie firmly planted in my mind for this wonderful story. However after getting beyond this I came to thoroughly enjoy Montgomery's performance and in this case could see why Jo could not marry Laurie and why she ultimately fell in love with the Professor, in the 1994 remake this was harder to swallow.

The pace is remarkably slower here, people with short attention spans will not last the distance and those who think the 1994 film was a masterpiece will likewise not appreciate this gem of an interpretation of a most extraordinary story. Hepburn is the major reason for seeing this film, never have I seen such an actress made for such a character. The sets, score and the screenplay itself are wonderful and overall this is a beautiful film I find myself returning to many times. A perfect film for the lead up to Christmas. Definitely a classic.