​FILMS

suffragette

2015 review number 162:

Suffragette: (Drama): 66 out of 100: Suffragette delivers an important message about the voting rights for women but it's the way that it has been directed which reduces the impact of the tale. Sarah Gavron is a fan of the close-up and the shaky camera which ultimately prove distracting to the viewer who prefers a momentous, historical event told without a director attempting to stamp her mark. Gavron's style intrudes on a powerful news item that doesn't need a director's stylish flourishes.

 

Maud (Carey Mulligan) has been working in the same laundry since she was a girl. In the early 1900s, Maud, like many other women, wanted their voice to be heard but women were not allowed to vote. Her husband, Sonny (Ben Whishaw) was one of many men who believed that women had no right to voice their opinions. Her life changes when she is recruited to join the U.K.'s growing suffragette movement. She becomes a major player when she addresses a group of politicians as her friend, Violet (Anne-Marie Duff) is unable to do so due to a minor illness. Emmeline Pankhurst (Meryl Streep) is the leader of this women's movement and because she is a fugitive, it is up to her 'foot soldiers' like Maud to protest. She is joined by key figures like pharmacist Edith Ellyn (Helena Bonham Carter) and Emily Davison (Natalie Press). The women are lambasted by many people and aggressive force is used against them to curtail their demonstrations, led by Inspector Arthur Steed (Brendan Gleeson).

 

Carey Mulligan is the standout in a role that could land her an Academy Award nomination. She provides an excellent representation of the early 20th century woman who was torn between her family and exercising her voting rights. The scenes where Sonny denies access to her son are heartwrenching due to the mastery of her performance. Don't be fooled by the poster featuring Meryl Streep as she appears in a demonstration scene for only a couple of minutes. Bonham Carter, Gleeson and Whishaw provide excellent support but there is no denying that this is Mulligan's movie. 

 

Gavron's style impacts on the emotional aspects of the story when she makes the camera too distracting. It is understandable to employ the shaky camera for the protest scenes because it captures the mayhem and confusion but there is no need for it during the dramatic scenes where the characters are talking to each other. There are also quite a few scenes where she focuses on only the mouth or eyes of the character. A wide angle shot where two or more characters are in a scene along with the occasional close-ups would have been more appropriate. This is where Steven Spielberg excelled in another historical film in Bridge of Spies.

 

The period detail is brilliantly shown through the costume and production design. These components aid in the historical retelling, even if many of the characters like Maud and Edith Ellyn are fictional. 

 

Although there was a rousing reception at the end of my screening, I felt that a powerful tale such as this didn't need a director who wanted it to be all about her. I was never bored but I felt manipulated by the direction. Suffragette is still an interesting film that deserves to be seen for Mulligan's remarkable performance.

  

Starring Carey Mulligan, Helena Bonham Carter, Brendan Gleeson, Anne-Marie Duff, Ben Whishaw and Meryl Streep

(106 minutes)

Parental advice: Coarse language, violence and adult themes

Additional scene during or after credits: No

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HdQ0iVrl2Y (Movie trailer)

(Reviewed on Thursday 22nd October, 2015)

 

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