Focus Features
I think that most people will agree in the efficacy of the Women’s Suffrage movement, because otherwise they are bizarrely antiquated and sexist. We do tend to take it for granted in most countries, although some few still do not allow women to vote. That is the important message of this movie, one that is easily ignored because it’s so easy to ignore. Naturally, women’s issues in general are in vogue as more and more light is shed on inequities. So it’s an important movie. But does that make it a good movie? Well…
Suffragette comes from director Sarah Gavron and screenwriter Abi Morgan, and it tells a piece of the story of the woman’s suffrage movement in the United Kingdom. This is accomplished by focusing on a few specific (and fictional) women as composites and representations of real life suffragette activists. Carey Mulligan stars as our primary protagonist Maud Watts, a young woman living in London. She works at a laundry with a horrible, abusive boss but it’s all for her home life with her son and husband Sonny (Ben Whishaw). But it all changes when Emmeline Pankhurst (Meryl Streep, rarely seen), a real life activist, encourages militant responses to lack of progress in the movement by the government.
Arrests follow, and Maud gets caught up in believing in something better for herself and other women. She works with a few others in the movement, like Edith Ellyn (Helena Bonham Carter), a local chemist, and Emily Davison (Natalie Press) — another person who actually existed. Serious drama occurs as Maud gets arrested and pressured by policeman Steed (Brendan Gleeson) to turn on her fellow activists. Eventually it begins to make things difficult at home, and we see a great deal of weeping.
If it seems like there isn’t much a story, you’re right. I’m struggling to figure out what to add that isn’t a spoiler or pointless. There’s a lot of repetition in this movie.
This movie starts interestingly, then gets dull for quite a while, and finally ends with some intrigue and excitement. The militant nature of the protests, that being destruction and the like, are interesting, but the endless wailing and abuse of Maud gets tiresome and numbing over time. What it should’ve been was shocking and meaningful to jar our modern sensibilities. Carey Mulligan is excellent, but her character is written very simplistically. She’s a naive newcomer with a family. There is one particularly emotional scene later on in the movie, but otherwise it all seems more like “hey, these women did important stuff.”
All that really tells me is that this movie will be watched by history classes in high school for years to come, but not for its excellence as a film. Now, there’s great acting across the board here, although that probably goes without saying. Meryl Streep is indeed good, but she’s in the movie for less than five minutes. I think the movie does have an affecting ending, so whether or not to recommend this movie is difficult.
I think some people will like the pain and triumph through hardship here, and the little snippets of sisterhood I craved more of. It’s a period piece and intentionally political. But to be honest, it also struck me as kinda … “awards bait.” Maybe that’s just the cynic in me.
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