Suffragette
refreshes our memory of what it took for women simply to get the vote and have
rights as mothers. They were disregarded
for so long, they felt they had to be destructive to get men’s attention. Now, almost a hundred years later, the
attitudes of that time are quaint at best and shocking at worst. And yet we still must struggle, “we go
on” (movie quote); there are still unfair discrepancies in compensation between
males and females in many professions.
Although admittedly these are not as woeful as the Watts’ situation
where she gets paid less than her husband for working more hours doing more
dangerous tasks in the laundry where they work.
Events in the film are sobering, painful, and
even disgusting, such as the headline about a demonstration reading “Wanton
Damage by Suffragettes.” (The
dictionary defines ‘wanton’ as “lascivious or promiscuous. Used especially of women…Marked by
unprovoked, gratuitous maliciousness; capricious and unjust.” This for throwing bricks through store
windows as protest against the unfair treatment of women. This is an example of the curious
negative sexual connotation when it’s women doing the protesting.
The drama focuses on Maud Watts (Mulligan), who
is a humble, hard-working, respected young woman who has worked at the laundry
from age seven, and has been steadily promoted although working conditions are
still poor. It’s not in her nature
to be rebellious, but she is curious when approached by a co-worker to join the
movement, and she goes to meetings primarily as a friend. By happenstance, it falls to her to
speak for women in her district to Prime Minister Lloyd George. She makes a good impression on him and
others listening, and you see the first awakening of her spirit.
Maud makes reasoned judgments about the
movement’s activities, and still proceeds rather reluctantly, especially since
her husband (Winshaw) discourages her from it. He wants her to toe the line like he does, and cannot
comprehend why she and her friends are so persistent—which is the general
feeling of the time. Activist
women are derided as much by women as they are men. But the real pushback comes from the police who are charged
with manhandling the women, knocking them down and injuring them and eventually
jailing them. Maud struggles with
the movement’s edging toward more violent demonstrations urged by the leaders
of the movement, Emmeline Pankhurst (Streep) and Edyth Ellen (Carter).
Interestingly, she is pushed as much in that
direction by the over-reactions of her husband and the police, as she is by the
movement’s leaders.
Carey Mulligan is a top-notch actress who
brings all her talents and skills to this role. She has her character maintain a loving presence and
refreshing curiosity throughout the brutalities Maud experiences, showing that
she never loses sight of basic principles of freedom and justice. Even the most violent act Maud commits
toward an abusive individual seems justified, because you know she would only
do it with cause.
Supporting actors with Mulligan, like Carter,
Duff, Whishaw, Gleeson, and Streep, make this a terrific ensemble, aided by
Alexandre Desplat’s musical score and Eduard Grau’s cinematography. The director Sarah Gavron and writer
Abi Morgan should be applauded for bringing the whole group together to recount
a vital story important for women even today. In this film, I gratefully renewed by appreciation for these
women’s struggles and sacrifice for us who came after. We would never be where we are today
without their bravery.
Interesting observation as an
afterthought: All the “Rotten”
Tomatoes reviews are by critics with male-sounding names. It’s understandable that Suffragette wouldn’t have the same
impact on men as on women.
Women of today should see this film
about those who sacrificed for us.
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