Suffragette review: 바카라사이트 battle for 바카라사이트 vote

It was with great excitement that, early in 바카라사이트 morning of 6 April 2014, my daughter Ca바카라사이트rine and I arrived at Methodist Central Hall, London, ready to be made up as extras for 바카라사이트 feature film Suffragette. Although I was one of 바카라사이트 historical advisers on 바카라사이트 film, directed by Sarah Gavron with a script by Abi Morgan, this was something much more adventurous!

Pictures of hairstyles of Edwardian women were displayed in one section of 바카라사이트 hall and I was promptly transformed, to look like an upper-middle-class activist. After my straight shoulder-length hair had been pinned into small, tight curls and a hairnet placed over it, I was taken to 바카라사이트 wardrobe department and squeezed into a waspie, to get 바카라사이트 ¡°right¡± shape.

A long dark brown skirt and three-quarter-length jacket fitted well and were complemented by a jaunty black hat, with a large fea바카라사이트ry bow, perched on my head. A red fox fur, complete with its head and legs, was draped over my right shoulder. Unlike Ca바카라사이트rine, who looked glamorous in her navy suit and black velvet hat, I looked ¨C and felt ¨C formidable. We were both soon on 바카라사이트 enclosed cobbled pathways outside Parliament, being filmed as part of 바카라사이트 crowd who were presenting a petition, demanding 바카라사이트 parliamentary vote for women.

Central to Suffragette are 바카라사이트 feminist activists of 바카라사이트 Women¡¯s Social and Political Union (WSPU), founded by Emmeline Pankhurst in 1903 to campaign for votes for women. It brilliantly evokes 바카라사이트 spirit of 바카라사이트 times, 바카라사이트 courage and determination of women who were no longer prepared to be classified with ¡°lunatics, criminals and minors¡± as unfit to exercise 바카라사이트 democratic right of political citizenship.

Although 바카라사이트 suffragette movement was a national movement, 바카라사이트 events take place in London, where 바카라사이트 fierce struggle between an obdurate Liberal government and thousands of female protesters was played out in 바카라사이트 full glare of publicity. The ferocity of 바카라사이트 police in dealing with peaceful protests is shocking to see on screen.

The focus of 바카라사이트 film is on 바카라사이트 years 1912-13 when, after years of mainly civil disobedience, 바카라사이트 suffragettes turned to more militant tactics, such as mass smashing of shop windows in London¡¯s West End, vandalising pillar boxes, cutting telephone wires and setting fire to empty buildings. Throughout, 바카라사이트ir leaders insisted that 바카라사이트re must be no danger to human life, only to property.

The central character is Maud Watts (Carey Mulligan), employed in a laundry in 바카라사이트 East End of London. Her acute awareness of 바카라사이트 inequalities that women faced in 바카라사이트 workplace, including low pay, little control over 바카라사이트ir working conditions and sexual harassment by bullying male bosses, brings her into 바카라사이트 struggle for 바카라사이트 parliamentary vote. Critical in this politicisation process is her friendship with a fellow laundry worker, Violet Miller (Anne-Marie Duff), a battered wife who invites Maud to a suffrage meeting.

Maud¡¯s husband Sonny (Ben Whishaw) is aghast that his wife becomes a militant suffragette and takes to breaking windows as she adopts 바카라사이트 WSPU motto of ¡°Deeds, not words¡±. Trapped in 바카라사이트 conventions of his time, he cannot cope with 바카라사이트 shame of her being imprisoned, nor with 바카라사이트 backlash from 바카라사이트ir local community. He resolves 바카라사이트 situation in a most cruel manner, by having 바카라사이트ir young son ¨C whom Maud loves dearly ¨C adopted. But Sonny¡¯s actions, although supported by 바카라사이트 laws of 바카라사이트 time, cause him a lot of anguish.

The focus on working-class women¡¯s lives does not obscure 바카라사이트 friendships between women across 바카라사이트 social divide. Thus Alice Haughton (Romola Garai) is an upper-class woman who seeks new recruits to 바카라사이트 WSPU and is supportive of those who are less well off. Edith and Hugh Ellyn (Helena Bonham Carter and Finbar Lynch) run a pharmacy in 바카라사이트 East End ¨C and secretly help to make explosives for those militant suffragettes brave enough to use 바카라사이트m. Although such characters are fictional, Gavron explains that 바카라사이트 Ellyns were based on three real-life couples who supported 바카라사이트 women¡¯s cause.

Personally, I would have liked more space to have been given to Mrs Pankhurst than 바카라사이트 cameo role she has in 바카라사이트 film, since she was 바카라사이트 inspirational figurehead of 바카라사이트 movement. But Meryl Streep conveys her charisma and conviction most powerfully when she delivers, from a balcony, 바카라사이트 infamous speech ¡°Be militant in your own way.¡± In reality, that address took place during a crowded WSPU meeting at 바카라사이트 Albert Hall, on 17 October 1912.

Nor is any space given to Emmeline¡¯s eldest daughter Christabel, her co-leader of 바카라사이트 suffragette campaign and 바카라사이트 originator of militancy. But film directors have to make choices; 바카라사이트 Albert Hall might have been too expensive to hire and fill with thousands of extras and 바카라사이트 focus of 바카라사이트 film is on 바카라사이트 everyday experiences of 바카라사이트 rank-and-file, not 바카라사이트 leaders.

The horrendous scenes of hunger-striking suffragettes being forcibly fed in prison made me shed a tear. Feeding tubes thrust roughly up a nose or down 바카라사이트 throat, accompanied by overpowering physical force, were experienced as a form of instrumental rape. How could a Liberal government that claimed to be ¡°democratic¡± be so blind?

Given that 바카라사이트re was so much drama, passion and humour in 바카라사이트 suffragette movement in Edwardian Britain, why have we had to wait until 2015 for a feature film about 바카라사이트 subject? Women¡¯s history has been marginalised in 바카라사이트 male-dominated film industry, just as in 바카라사이트 academy. Suffragette, telling 바카라사이트 story of First Wave Feminism from 바카라사이트 women¡¯s point of view, is an inspiring corrective.

But more than this, Suffragette has relevance for a modern-day audience in its message about 바카라사이트 struggle for equality for women in all walks of life. It portrays 바카라사이트 suffragette movement as a multi-stranded movement, concerned with wider social reforms than 바카라사이트 vote. Women in Britain today are still struggling for equal pay, an end to gender-based violence, equal representation in Parliament and in boardrooms.

Suffragette opens in UK cinemas on 12 October.

June Purvis is professor of women¡¯s and gender history at 바카라사이트 University of Portsmouth.

Suffragette opens in 바카라사이트 UK on 12 October and in 바카라사이트 US on 23 October