“Suffragette” – Facing facts about feminine conflict issues et al.

Director Sarah Gavron did not have an easy job with this film especially as the “star player” in the suffragette movement  – Emiline Pankhurst, was given  minor coverage  (played by Meryl Streep) so we were treated to a kind of “off camera” sub-plot of the terribly sad life of Maud Watts who was dragged into the suffragette drama by friends who worked in the laundry and as a result she became a complete victim and somewhat saint in the unfolding drama which would draw tears from most “slightly suspecting” viewers eyes – especially women’s! Maud, played by Carey Mulligan together with actresses Anne Marie Duff and health worker played by Helena Bonham Carter are thrown into the turmoil of the fight for votes for women having to deal with  violence from the police, force feeding in prison, in return for numerous protests,  bombing telephone boxes and bombing  a major parliamentary member’s personal home.  Eventually – yes, you guessed it, one of the suffragettes throws herself to her death (and it looked like the jockey’s too) at a major horse race but what was so frustrating about the story was that there was no actual closure and conclusion to the story.  At the end of the film you are treated to a number of details in the credits  about European countries who finally gave women the vote – at varying ages and on varying dates.  It definitely brought tears to my eyes and the life of Maud Watts was so sad that you almost wanted to know how it progressed after her husband disowned her, she was sacked from work and her most beloved son was adopted, but this is not a story really about the fight for women’s votes so don’t expect it to be – it’s mainly about Maud Watts.  There are one or two roles by terrifying and staggeringly bullying male characters but as women in Europe may sometimes unfortunately know, men and women are different from each other and for all the progress we have made the sad thing is for me is that successful women can sometimes be just as nasty as successful men – to their own gender.  Of course this rarely reaches the public as we all like to think women who have got on – whether with talent or beauty or both – would be nice to other women.  But many times they are not.  Women in the UK  have had the vote since 1918.  Women getting on in senior roles are known to be simply as competitive as men and treat women beneath them “on their way up” no better than men treat them.  And so the sex war goes on.  Suffragette will probably cause tears to many eyes.  But really the suffragette movement was supported by quite a number of men who were on the scene at the protests, bombings and riots and  this is hardly touched on in this film and for that reason, it is disappointing as I feel sure the men would want to be remembered for their support in that continued protest which eventually gave women the vote.

Penny Nair Price