Suffragette
Director: Sarah Gavron
Stars: Carey Mulligan, Anne-Marie Duff, Helena Bonham Carter
Duration: 106 mins
Class: 12
KRS Film Releasing

The word ‘suffragette’ has been imprinted on my mind ever since I first watched Mary Poppins as a child. Set in 1910 around the time the suffrage movement was gaining momentum, the character of Mrs Banks leads her household staff in a chorus of a pro-suffrage song, singing “Our daughters’ daughters will adore us and they’ll sing in grateful chorus, well done, Sister Suffragette!”

It was a frothy song in a family film that did not even hint at the stark and often severe meaning of the movement’s invaluable work. Suffragette serves as a timely reminder of the work and sacrifices undertaken by the thousands of women across the UK a 100 or so years ago when fighting for that same right.

The story is seen from the point of view of the fictional character of Maud (Carey Mulligan) a young laundry worker from London’s East End. Through her, we witness the change society in Britain went through, her story digging deep into the reasons why she got involved with the movement at the expense of her husband Sonny (Ben Whishaw) and son George.

It is a story slickly, fascinatingly and informatively told, in Abi Morgan’s meticulous script and aided by Sarah Gavron’s uncomplicated direction. One afternoon, while on a work errand, Maud inadvertently gets caught up in a riot organised by the Suffragettes, as their protests move up a notch.

Egged on by her friend and co-worker Violet (Anne-Marie Duff), inspired by chemist and activist Edith (Helena Bonham Carter) and assisted by upper-class campaigner Alice (Romola Garai), Maud soon finds herself in the centre of the burgeoning movement, facing imprisonment, humiliation and alienation in the fight for equality, as the authorities stubbornly refused to listen, ultimately resorting to brutal tactics to keep the women down.

Morgan’s script aces the historical context with excellent snippets of exposition offering the viewer an informed background with well-executed scenes giving it momentum.

The issue’s human side is illustrated through her protagonists; the individual characters portrayed as ordinary, working, family women straining to have their voice heard in a society that constantly refused to listen.

Although the character of Maud is fictional, she and many of the characters depicted in the film are composites of real life people, all of whom contributed in no small way to the movement and its success.

The film is lent further authenticity with the presence of real-life characters, including the movement’s formidable founder Emmeline Pankhurst (Meryl Streep in a brief, but wholly memorable, cameo); the ill-fated Emily Wilding Davison (Natalie Press); and, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, David Lloyd George (Adrian Schiller).

The film is also commendable in its efforts to depict events as honestly as possible, including the movement’s more militant actions, some of which turned to violence – such as the bombing of post boxes and setting fire to private property.

Commendable in its efforts to depict events as honestly as possible

It also eschews the temptation to depict all men as one-dimensional chauvinists. In fact, the script highlights the support offered to the women by the aforementioned chancellor, while Brendan Gleeson’s character Inspector Steed is clearly sympathetic towards the women’s cause, yet is a man devoted to his job to uphold the law and nip the ‘militant suffragette threat’ in the bud.

Gavron has assembled a first-rate cast to the story with heart and honesty, the significance of the efforts of these individuals seared into audiences’ minds by an ensemble of superb performances, led by the indefatigable Mulligan.

I reiterate that Mulligan is one of the most exciting actresses at work today, typically embodying her character with a raw and truthful performance that is equal parts head and heart. She gives a relatable face and voice to the movement, as she comes out of her shell to fight a battle she believes will improve her lot and that of women all over.

Sonny, Maud’s husband, is a deeply conservative man. His attitude towards Maud is objectionable. Yet, it is equally clear that his behaviour is not just borne out of the embarrassment he feels at Maud’s involvement with the movement, but also from an innate fear of the significant changes going on around him. Whishaw’s nuanced performance portrays it with honesty.

Bonham Carter’s Edith is a typically feisty character, devoted to the cause at all costs. Bonham Carter’s casting is dripping with significance – her great-grandfather Asquith Carter’s great-grandfather Henry Herbert Asquith, the prime minister at the time of the events depicted in the film, was a man totally opposed to the suffragette movement.

Suffragette is a fascinating and important account of an essential slice of history, something three-time Academy Award winner Streep was clearly keen to participate in, given her pronouncement that “every daughter should know this history, every son write it on his heart”.