Suffragette provides a glimpse into a dim area of history. It’s a good movie, solid in its cast and tale. But it does not rise above the bleakness that surrounds the story. And it will not appeal to many, even if those many prefer not to admit the horrible treatment of women for so long. There is nothing pretty about the film; it’s hard and harsh and uncomfortable. But it’s important.
The movie covers the rise of the movement in England for women’s right to vote. It climaxes with a particular event that finally, albeit tragically, caught the attention of the world. But rather than focus only on the movement and its leaders, the film tells the story through an unlikely voice—the working class mother and wife who stumbled into the cause in this view of the events.
The cast did a fine job here in this period piece. Carey Mulligan always impresses me. But more so, I was particularly taken by Helena Bonham Carter in a role not dominated by costume or makeup, allowing one to see just how broad her stretch is–beyond the extraordinary or over-the-top that I typically think of with her.
After watching this movie, I told one of my nieces about it. She was aghast that there has been a time in the last century that women had no rights to their own children. I wish, then, every young woman would see this. It’s more than about the right to vote. It’s more than about the rights of women. It’s about oppression and abuse and corruption at the highest levels. And those things are not new. Or solved.