Suffragette gets my vote.

Powerful, gripping, infuriating and heartbreaking in equal measure, Director Sarah Gavron’s “Suffragette” brings a pivotal chapter of British history to vivid life without ever falling prey to feminist diatribe.

It charts the story of Maud Watts (Carey Mulligan), a fictional wife and mother who finds herself caught up in the events and activities of the Suffragette movement in the early 20th century, thanks to fellow laundry worker Violet Miller (Anne-Marie Duff). Their working-class lives are in stark contrast to that of the more notable middle and upper-class ladies who drove the movement but the film prefers to stick at the grassroots level, placing real-life figures such as Emmeline Pankhurst (a cameo from Meryl Streep) very much in the background. Helena Bonham Carter plays Edith Ellyn, an amalgamation of several real-life suffragettes, most notable Edith New (who was one of the first to advocate and practice vandalism in aid of the cause), while Natalie Press plays Emily Wilding Davison who would write her name in the history books during a fateful protest at the Epsom Derby.

While the fight for ‘votes for women’ tends to be used as a catch-all term for what the suffragettes were fighting for, the film also shows how many other basic rights were denied to women of the age, including the devastating lack of any legal rights whatsoever over their own children. Carey Mulligan’s performance is irresistibly compelling as she chart’s Maud’s journey from contented laundry worker, wife and mother to the fiercely defiant, principled campaigner she becomes. Her journey is made all the more fascinating by the increasingly brutal and totalitarian actions of the State, personified by Brendan Gleeson as Inspector Arthur Steed. Driven by fear and desperation to crush the movement by any means necessary, the State ends up creating and fortifying the very things it was afraid of, using many techniques and approaches which seem very familiar to today’s society of security and the war on terror. Complicit in the forging of Maud’s rebellious spirit is her husband Sonny, played expertly by Ben Wishaw. It’s a thankless, despicably craven role but he plays it with a tortured sincerity that hints at the divided loyalties that must be buried deep for the sake of social propriety.

One of the starkest things about the events shown in “Suffragette” is the realisation of how little things seem to have changed. The focus and identity of the campaigners may shift but it the fight for equality and fairness seems as necessary now as ever. As the film itself shows at the end, this is not ancient history: Switzerland only granted women the right to vote in 1971. When you look back at the recent films exploring and exposing the great social injustices of the past century, be it Women’s rights, the struggle for civil rights in “Selma” or even the brutality of policing in the 1990s as highlighted in “Straight Outta Compton” it’s not hard to think we’ve really not come very far at all in the past 100 years.

“Suffragette” is many things: a salutary lesson in the bravery and shame of our ancestors; a gripping drama with tremendous performances throughout; a morally complex and cautionary tale for those who blindly believe in the benignant nature of the State in respect of all its citizens. This is potent, significant cinema, maybe not as visceral or ferocious as “12 Years A Slave” but no less harrowing.

suffragette review
Score 10/10


Hi there! If you enjoyed this post, why not sign up to get new posts sent straight to your inbox?

Sign up to receive a weekly digest of The Craggus' latest posts.

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

logo

Related posts

The Falcon And The Winter Soldier Episode 4

The Falcon And The Winter Soldier Episode 4

The Whole World Is WatchingReview The week began for THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER with it riding the meme wave as it revelled in the entirely predictable internet infatuation with Baron Zemo’s dancing. It ended, as did the fourth episode THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING, with the...

Mr Turner (2014) Review

Mr Turner (2014) Review

I'm captivated by the eccentricity and the genius of Mike Leigh's Mr Turner. Beyond being vaguely aware he was a painter, I knew nothing of the work or life of J M W Turner. I came out of Mike Leigh’s “Mr Turner” determined to learn more about this exceptional man and keen to find out...

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) Review

On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) Review

You have all the time in the world to read this On Her Majesty's Secret Service Review With their star gone, the makers were faced with a real dilemma. Obviously, Bond would have to be recast but should they acknowledge the fact openly in the film. In the end, they settled for a...

Ms Marvel Review

Ms Marvel Review

Ms Marvel brings fan fantasy to MCU life Ms. Marvel is not just another addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe; it's a vibrant, heartwarming, and culturally rich narrative that sets a new benchmark for superhero stories on the small screen. With its unique blend of teenage...

Horrible Histories: The Movie – Rotten Romans (2019) Review

Horrible Histories: The Movie - Rotten Romans (2019) Review

Veni, vidi, risi The original run of the “Horrible Histories” TV series was one of those lightning-in-a-bottle shows, a perfect match between writing and casts and while this "Rotten Romans" big-screen spin-off unfortunately doesn’t have any of the series main cast, it does manage...

The World Is Not Enough (1999) Review

The World Is Not Enough (1999) Review

Worst. Christmas. Ever. With Brosnan firmly established in the public’s mind as Bond and the franchise now one of the undisputed cinema heavyweights, things were looking good for 007 as the new millennium approached. Taking its title from Bond’s family motto – “The World Is Not...

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) Review

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) Review

“Please, Captain – not in front of the Klingons!” When it came out, I went to see “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier” five times in the cinema. Five. It wasn’t because I loved it so much, it was because it niggled at me. I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I should and I...

The Boogeyman (2023) Review

The Boogeyman (2023) Review

The Boogeyman is bogus, man I had high hopes for THE BOOGEYMAN. After all, when it comes to horror, it’s hard to resist a pedigree which boasts “From The Mind Of Stephen King” even if that doesn’t quite carry the same hallmark of quality cinematically that it carries in publishing, but...