Title: Sufragette
Year: 2015
Director: Sarah Gavron
Genre: Drama, History
Cast: Carey Mulligan, Helena Bonham Carter, Brendan Gleeson, Anne-Marie Duff, Ben Whishaw, Meryl Streep.
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Plot:
This story depicts the struggle of a group of women
supporting women’s suffrage in England in 1912. It centers
on the character of Maud Watts, a lower-middle class young
woman who inadvertently gets involved in the Suffragette
movement and is forced to make a choice between
dedicating to the cause and leaving her life behind,
including her job, family and home.
Characters:
Maud Watts
This is the character that evolves the most as the movie
develops. Maud first appears as a simple young woman
committed to sacrificing much of her in order to satisfy her
boss and fulfill her “duty” towards her husband, her family,
and society. Her eagerness to please and tolerance is
questioned when, through Violet, she’s introduced to the
concept of a life different to what she’s ever known. This
thought blossoms from mere curiosity to an ideal she
ultimately is willing to sacrifice everything for, the difference
being this time she’s the one to choose what to fight for.
Violet Miller
An enthusiastic and optimistic woman who’s easy to love from the start although we don’t get to see much development in her character. A true warrior, she behaves as if she’s got nothing to lose despite her family, until she faces an unexpected change of events at the end.
Edith Ellyn
This character is not a soldier but the brains of this small group of women. Following the lead of Emmeline Pankhurst (an true historical character portrayed by Meryl Streep) she’s fully committed to the cause, putting it before her own welfare and those of others.
Inspector Steed
One would think this character was put there to personify the male chauvinistic society of the time, that is, to give “the bad guys” a face. Yet, he’s the only character who truly questions the actions of the Suffragette movement with reasonable and valid arguments. He points out the damage done to others by the actions of these women, condemning them as violent terrorists and raising the question of whether the end justifies the means.