Four views of Little Women on film

题材 体裁 文章词数 难度 建议用时影视 说明文 365 ★★ 6 分钟

难词探意

1. sentimental /ˌsentɪ΄mentl/ adj. 多愁善感的

2. nostalgia /nɒ΄stældʒə/ n. 怀旧

3. Technicolor /΄teknɪkʌlə(r)/ n. 彩色印片法

4. consumerism /kən΄sjuːmərɪzəm/ n. 消费主义

5. stellar cast 明星阵容

More than 150 years ago, Louisa May Alcott's novel,Little Womenwas published to overnight success. The sisters in the book, Jo, Meg, Amy and Beth, were far from the overlysentimentalheroines found in similarly themed novels of the era. That internal resistance to the typical “girls' story”genre of the time is part of what makesLittle Womenso enduring a novel. Here, in order of appearance, are the four major motion pictures made from the book and what they say about their times：

Hey Katharine!

Made in 1933,Little Womenwas a true product of the Depression in its emphasis onnostalgia. The present, frankly, was terrible, and what audiences wanted was an escape to simpler, better times. For added realistic effect, Katherine Hepburn consulted old photos of her grandmother when working with the costume designer.

Hey Liz!

There was a little innovation calledTechnicolor. Would Liz Taylor have become such a massive star without color film to show off those famous violet eyes? The economic boom of the 1950s was just around the corner when this film was released in 1949. In honor of the era's commitment toconsumerism, the screenwriters added a scene in which the girls and their mother go out for a merry round of Christmas shopping.

Hey Winona!

This version created a fresh take on the old classic in 1994 by imagining how Louisa May Alcott might have written the story had she been liberated from the cultural chains that constrained her storytelling in the 19th century.For many people, this is the definitive version ofLittle Women. Of course, none of this would work without thestellar cast—Winona Ryder, Kirsten Dunst, Claire Danes, Samantha Mathis, Christian Bale,Gabriel Byrne.

Hey Saorise!

But a new version could challenge its supremacy. Saoirse Ronan stars as Jo in a 2019 remake directed by Greta Gerwig. As was the case with the 1994 version, Gerwig puts a feminist spin on the theme. But unlike previous adaptations, this one starts with the March sisters as adults and flashes back to their childhoods. Early reviews have been almost uniformly glowing.

Reading Check

1. What madeLittle Womenbecome popular 150 years ago?

A. The changed image of heroines in the novel.

B. The cry of the sisters in the book.

C. The films adapted from the novel.

D. The acceptance of the “girls' story”.

2. Which of the following versions added a scene of Christmas shopping?

A. The film in 1933. B. The film in 1949.

C. The film in 1994. D. The film in 2019.

3. What's the unique feature of the film in 2019?

A. It is played by massive stars.

B. It puts a feminist spin on the theme.

C. It is equipped with the attractive costume.

D. It starts with adults and flashes back to the childhoods.

4. What's the author's purpose in writing the text?

A. To show how to make different films.

B. To attract audience to seeLittle Women.

C. To introduce 4 versions ofLittle Women.

D. To stress the significance ofLittle Women.

Language Study

Difficult sentence

This version created a fresh take on the old classic in 1994 by imagining how Louisa May Alcott might have written the story had she been liberated from the cultural chains that constrained her storytelling in the 19th century.

【翻译】__________________________________________________________________________________

【点石成金】本句为if引导的虚拟条件句，其中if省略，条件句倒装。 当虚拟条件句的谓语动词含有were/should/had时，if可省略，were/should/had提前置于句首，条件从句要用倒装语序。