Review of Suffragette (2015) by Darren C — 13 Jan 2016

A worthwhile history lesson, though it could have incorporated more of the wider suffrage movement instead of focusing only on a few characters. It does show Emily Davison (Natalie Press), whose important and drastic action is not often mentioned.

People think that western women have had rights for a long time - this film shows how fragile and hard-won those rights are. The acting by Mulligan and the support cast is very good. Pankhurst is depicted as rather arch, and a touch strange - was she? The screenplay at least was inadequate - the woman was a ground breaking political strategist.

Casting Streep was a distraction from the main characters. In this era of the fresh drive to put women down, this is an important film because it reminds those of us who value democracy that political freedom and equality can't be taken for granted, that what we have was won at great cost, and that preserving it demands vigilance.