“Suffragette” depicts the early stages of the British women’s suffrage movement and will have broad appeal for women on our campus. I really enjoyed “Suffragette” for what it brings to light concerning the backstory of a movement that is still so prevalent in today’s society.
Suffragettes refer to a group of British working women who began the fight for their right to vote and equality in the late 19th century and early 20th century. The film tells the story of how the group met in secret to discuss the next drastic steps they would need to take to get the attention of those in power who continued to deny their rights.
The film emphasizes how difficult work was for women in that time period, yet they were paid minimally in comparison to a man’s wage and worked more hours. They began to sweat and toil at an early age along with their mothers and their mother’s mothers — a tradition Suffragette’s aimed to change.
In the late 19th century, women in the United Kingdom had no legal right to their children, to vote nor hold any sort of valuable position in society.
Women today continue the fight for equality. The movement has gained momentum for decades. The feminist movement strives for political, social and economic equality for both sexes.
The main concept of feminism that really interest me is female empowerment, so naturally I was excited to see this film and it didn’t disappoint.
I would deem myself a feminist. As I sat in the movies watching previews before another movie, I decided which ones were worth watching and which were not. A preview came on for “Suffragette”. It showed women being jailed for protesting and holding signs that said “vote for women.” I knew right away I could not wait to watch it because of its historical display of a movement I support.
In many ways, women in this time period can be compared to workhorses: they worked tough long hours, bore children and had no rights to any part of their household. This was reflected in their appearance. In much of “Suffragette” they were sweating, wore minimal makeup and worn clothing. Their hands were not manicured nor their hair brushed. The scenes depict hard-working women who had no time to primp or prime.
They were brutally beaten, incarcerated and publicly shamed for their public strikes. After every incarceration, they were awarded a purple ribbon as a badge of honor by other leaders in the movement. The incarceration and harsh treatment of the women were difficult to watch.
Carey Mulligan (“The Great Gatsby” “Drive”) plays Maud Watts, a timid laundress, and mother, who is hesitant about the movement. Her character lives in the darkness of feminine inequality and her employer is condescending to her and her female coworkers. In one scene, he attempts to sexually assault a minor working in the factory. Mulligan transformed to her role well. She gives up almost everything for the fight. She loses her family, freedom and friends all in the fight for equality justice.
Emmeline Pankhurst, the leader of the Suffragettes was portrayed by Meryl Streep. Although her role was minor, she had impactful lines such as a famous quote by Pankhurst, “I would rather be a rebel than a slave.” She encouraged women to fight for their place in society and not succumb to the normalities of sexism in government.
“I would rather live in prison than live a slave,” Streep said.
“Suffragette” is dramatically appealing and emotional in every sense. It aims to inspire women to carry on a movement that is so crucial in society, even today.
Director, Sarah Govan, chose to direct this film to tell the story of feminism in its beginning. She intended the story to be gritty and unglamorous to make the setting as it was in that time period.
Across the world, many countries still do not recognize the female vote. In America, women are still paid less than men. These are the modern day issue that drew me to a movie about feminism.
We see many celebrities openly advocating women’s equality in society.
I would recommend “Suffragette” to anyone, but more importantly, to women. Women are where they are today in society because of those women who chose to make a change. Women, as a demographic, are getting stronger in education, politics and society. The fight began with the vote, but will continue until there is equality.
