Suffragette

2015 | Drama | 106 minutes | English

Info

In 1912, 24-year-old laundry worker, Maud Watts, and her co-worker Violet Miller, become involved in the protests by the suffragettes. They both agree to testify before a Parliamentary Committee. Maud gives compelling testimony, but it’s in vain. The Committee refuses to act. The protests continue and Maud is arrested and vilified by the community. Her husband locks her out of their home and restricts Maud’e access to her son. Maud and the group become more radical and they cut telegraph wires. Maud is influenced by Emmeline Pankhurst, a leader in the movement, whose slogan is “I’d rather be a rebel than a slave.” The suffragettes decide to go the Derby and protest in front of King George V. While standing on the racing track, Emily Davison, fellow protestor, is trampled and killed by one of the King’s horses. But the suffragettes are persistent and continue to agitate. The film ends by scrolling the successes of the suffragettes through the years until the eventual passage in England of the Equal Franchise Act in 1928. It gave all women over the age of 21 the right to vote.

Cast

Carey Mulligan (Maud Watts) / Anne-MarieDuff (Violet Miller) / Helena Bonham Carter (Edith Ellyn) / Meryl Streep (Emmeline Pankhurst) / Brendan Gleeson (Arthur Steed)

Why Stream This Film?

Women in England got the right to vote in 1928 (Equal Franchise Act) and in the U.S. in 1920 (Nineteenth Amendment). In both cases, it didn’t happen easily. Women had to fight bitterly and courageously to secure this right. As suffragette leader Emmeline Pankhurst stated, “I’d rather be a rebel than a slave.” Viewing SUFFRAGETTE should help viewers understand how these brave women changed the course of history.

Rotten Tomatoes Score (Critics Consensus): 73%
Metacritic Score: 66

Accolades

British Independent Film Awards: Winner, Best Supporting Actor (Brandon Gleeson); Nominated, Best Actress (Carey Mulligan); Best Supporting Actress (Anne-Marie Duff, Helena Bonham Carter)
Hollywood Film Awards: Winner, Actress of the Year (Carey Mulligan)
London Critics Circle Awards: Nominated, Best Actress of the Year (Carey Mulligan)