Review of Iron Jawed Angels (2004) by Alan H — 13 Oct 2010

Iron Jawed Angels depicts the final stages of the battle for the women's right to vote. This is an excellent HBO production, and it plays more like a big-screen release than a made-for-TV production (as HBO is known to do).

The centerpiece of this film is the work of Alice Paul (Hillary Swank) and Lucy Burns. These sufferagettes met in England and brought their passion home to the United States in 1912. They attracted a group of young, dedicated, educated women that went to work in Washington, D.C.,to lobby for the vote. This is the same year Woodrow Wilson took office. Their decision to picket the White House, even during the early days of WWI brought down the ire of many people upon them, and even resulted in their unlawful arrests and imprisonment. Alice Paul was the heart and soul of this effort and, though she was a relative latecomer to the fight, provided the spark that inspired women to take up the challenge. The treatment of the sufferagettes in prison was eye-opening.

The cast is amazing, and there is not a weak performance among them. You will see many familiar faces among the cast.

The film is of high quality and deserves to be seen. There are a few disjointed scenes here and there, like Swank in the bathtub, but all in all, it is an excellent period piece dramatizing actual events.

Watching a film like this makes me ashamed about the times I have taken for granted the right to vote, and inspired me to be a better-informed voter and citizen.

5 stars, whithout a doubt.