Suffragette 2015

     This is a historical drama from 1911-13 about women in the United Kingdom campaigning to get the vote.  The women came from the all the layers of society, the working classes and the educated classes.  They really expected the government to vote yes on their petition to vote but they were denied.  When they protested the ruling, the police beat them, knocked them down and kicked them.  The more outspoken women were taken to jail.  The conditions surrounding their endeavors didn’t improve but continued to get worse.  Women lost their low paying jobs, their homes, husbands, children and their lives. 

     The men during this time period were widely devoid of sympathy for this cause both on the street and in government.  There was the thinking that women didn’t have the intellect to be able to vote?  There was a lot of fighting between 1911 and 1913 but there was a turning point in 1913.  On June 8, 1913, King George’s horse struck Emily Wilding Davison on Derby day and she died four days later.  She sacrificed herself totally for the cause including giving her life.  She was arrested nine times and force-fed 49 times due to hunger strikes.  Thousands of suffragettes walked with the coffin and tens of thousands of people lined the streets of London.  The women finally received voting rights for Parliament in 1918 and the same rights as men in 1928.  I wasn’t aware of this history and I was surprised at the callous treatment of the women.  4* (I really liked this movie)

106 min, Bio directed by Sarah Gavron with Carey Mulligan, Anne-Marie Duff, Helena Bonham Carter, Grace Stottor, Geoff Bell, Amanda Lawrence Shelly Longworth, Adam Michael Dodd, Ben Whishaw.

Note:  Imdb 6.9 out of 10, 73% critic 69% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 2*, Amazon 4.2* out of 5* with 394 reviews.

Special Note:  Filmed in Hertfordshire, Berkshire, Kent, London, England, UK.