The renowned filmmaker, Greta Gerwig, is most known for her film adaptation of the novel, Little Women. She was nominated for numerous Oscars and gained significant fame in the media.
Her early experience in film was started by her acting career. She acted in the films “Greenberg” (2010) with
Ben Stiller and “To Rome with Love” (2012). These films exposed her to the world and experience of an actor, which she uses when she directs her movies. She then co-wrote two films with Bambach, “Frances Ha” (2012) and “Mistress America” (2015).
Gerwig debuted her solo directing career with her film “Lady Bird” (2018) and has since then released “Little Women” in 2019. Her recent debut in filmmaking has made her a popular name in the directing world and she has already been credited with a specific style of film.
Her films have been found to fall into the genre of “mumblecore”. This genre is known for having movies that have low budgets and focus on the young adulthood of America. Even though Gerwig’s films have not fallen into the low budget category, she still manages to embody the essence of one. This is mostly credited to her early career in low budget short films. However, she directly mirrors the focus on young American adulthood.
Both of her released films focus on young females who are navigating through their own lives. These characters both have a focus on their families and the connection they share with each member. Gerwig specializes in exposing the complexity of families through the eyes of the main character. She does this by basing her films in domestic settings where each character lives a life of normalcy, in other words, a life of a modern citizen. Through these settings, the plot exposes characters as real people going through everyday struggle.
Gerwig’s style of writing is one that does not necessarily follow the traditional style of script outlines. She does not start her writing with a specific plot in mind. Rather, she has said that she writes on matters and conversations she hears around her, namely, the subway. With these overheard conversations she starts to formulate a script. She writes by letting the words on the paper speak to her, ensuring a sense of natural fluidity. This then has an effect on characters she creates, it allows for her characters to tell their own stories and to create their own personality.
The directing style itself is one that shoots on still frames and focuses on the character instead of the setting. This focus on the character brings sole attention to the dialogue occurring on screen. This is what makes Gerwig’s films so enchanting. She ensures that the focus of the movie is on the story the characters portray.
The unique aspect of Gerwig’s style of directing is her focus on the actor’s themselves. She has experienced the world of an actor and understands what she is asking of them. She says that she approaches her requests with sympathy because she knows first hand how taxing it can become at times. Gerwig also recognizes how important it is for the actors to be organic, especially when acting in a family setting. So, she is known for having the actors spend weeks rehearsing together to create a realistic ambiance. This rehearsal forms a bond between each actor that allows for them to effectively improvise when shooting.
Greta Gerwig might have just started her career in directing films, but she has effectively imprinted her name in the filmmaking blueprint. The realism and wit she manages to portray allows for the audience to personally fall for the characters and story on screen. Gerwig manages to capture the normalcy of life and reveal its complexity plus humor through simple shots and compelling dialogue.
With this in mind, it is my belief that we have just seen the early stages in Gerwig’s style growth. Her directing has only room for more films that will successfully reveal how life in itself is a compelling matter full of loss, love, sadness, and hope. I look forward to witnessing her future films and will most definitely be the first in line at the box office.