Suffragette, based in 1912, follows a small group of working class women who are fighting for the right to vote. Featuring performances from incredible female actresses such as Carey Mulligan, Helena Bonham Carter and Meryl Streep, this film brings awareness to younger girls of the ongoing struggle we have faced, and acts as a reminder to older generations as to how far women have come.
I feel this film has come at a great time, when feminism seems to be at an all time high. At the beginning of the film, Mulligan's character, Maud repeatedly says 'I'm not a suffragette', which is still relevant today, with many people thinking of feminism as a dirty term that suggests they are man-hating, aggressive lesbians. This is of course not the case! Thankfully, support from the likes of Emma Watson, Lena Dunham and Beyonce, is transforming the idea of being a feminist in to something to be proud of. Even male celebrities, such as Joseph Gordon-Levitt, are backing the cause, showing that feminism is not exclusive to women.
I recently watched BBC Three's 'Britain's Biggest Sexists?' where I learnt of something called the Bechdel test. This judges films based on the criteria that at least two named female characters engage in a conversation with each other about something other than a man. Having looked in to this more, it is shocking to see how many films fail this test.
The ending of the film is very interesting; it lists the years that different countries gave women the right to vote. I was surprised at how late some of the dates were, in particular the last one; it said that women in Saudi Arabia are hoping to get the vote this year! So if you watch this film thinking 'women have come so far, why is feminism still relevant?', then this will answer your question.
Although I enjoyed Suffragette, it isn't the type of film that would ever top my favourites list. It's just not my go-to genre. I'd definitely recommend this film to everyone, as I think it is important for people to understand the Women's Suffrage Movement, and this is an enjoyable, easy-to-understand dramatisation of this. My friend's absolutely loved this film, so it's clearly down to personal preference, but for me, I didn't leave the cinema with any lingering strong feelings.
If you have seen Suffragette, what did you think of it?
Aderyn x
No comments
Post a Comment