"Suffragette" Analysis
Sunday, October 11, 2015
“Suffragette”, set in 1912, depicts the life and tribulations of the women’s rights’ group, also under the name of the “Suffragettes”. Using real life events, such as the death of Emily Davison and the leadership of Emmeline Pankhurst, as well as introducing fictional characters and events, the film explores the struggle in establishing and exploring the right for women to vote.
In order to resonate with a modern day audience and the everyday women, the central protagonist, Maud Watts, was created as a character who supports the movement. Although Emily Davison and Emmeline Pankhurst are both featured and heavily referenced within the film, it is considered that their individual stories’ would not engage the intended audience as well as one that had never before been told in cinema; the story of the foot soldiers of the early feminist movement.
Within the film, the major emphasis on representation lies within that of gender. Women are presented as underprivileged, second-class citizens, who should abide to a patriarchal society in which they are oppressed. Regardless of this, since the film’s protagonists are all female, women are positively represented as powerful, regardless of being restricted any power.
In contrast, men are represented negatively regardless of their high positions within the patriarchal society. Many of the men are presented as being vile characters, behaving atrociously to women. For example, Norman Taylor - Maud’s boss - is shown to sexually abuse his workers, regardless of some of their young ages, as well as to demean and punish them, forcing them to work long hours for little pay. They are also represented further as violent through the exploration of how they are viewed through the female characters eyes. For example, when Maud says: “We break windows, we burn things, because war is the only language men listen to.” However, regardless of this overwhelmingly negative representation of the male gender, it is also shown through characters such as Maud’s husband, Sonny, that not all of the men are evil but perhaps led easily by the social conventions of the patriarchal society at the time. Likewise, the most positive representation of men can be found in that of Edith’s - Maud’s friend, pharmacist, and the leader of the particular group of foot soldiers featured within the film - husband, Hugh, who supports his wife’s cause.
The struggles that the women face establish the narrative as one that tells a somewhat sad story, of torment and troubles, regardless of the sense of empowerment. This is also conveyed through the use of cinematography and other visual codes. For example, the use of cool midtones and low-key lighting is used almost continuously throughout the film alongside imagery that uses low saturations. The regular use of close-up shots ensured that the audience felt connected to the characters, able to observe their facial expressions and find an insight into their emotions. The use of long shots were also used, however scarcely, to emphasis the vastness of the movement - for example, in riot and assembly scenes. These visual and technical codes are all key in simulating a negative, disconcerting mood.
The use of various audio codes - non-diegetic sound, the emphasis on diegetic background noises, and music, included - were also all important in creating a sense of mood. A noteworthy example of sound being used effectively was where there was an absence of it. For example, within the scene in which Emily Davison is hit by a horse, there is a considerable length of silence. This forces the audience to focus on the reactions of the other characters and gives them time for the events to be processed, therefore creating a more effective scene.
The film uses a traditional linear narrative structure and leaves an open ending that allows the audience to use contextual information to complete the story. Likewise, it is important to note the symbolism of this open ending; the fight for women’s equality is not yet over. This symbolic meaning ensures that the film is still relevant and important in today’s society.
As what I can only imagine is an accurate portrayal of the events of the 1920’s which saw women from all backgrounds fight for their right to vote, I found “Suffragette” to be a film that successfully resonated with me, and I believe the entire of the rest of the audience, and offered a sense of empowerment in that standing up for what you believe in, standing up for your rights, and standing up for yourself is effective in making a change that is worth the sacrifices that need to be made. Feminism and gender equality is still a social issue today and I found that the film, particularly in the use of the end credits where the list of countries and the dates in which women were awarded the vote in the respective countries, effectively represented this fact.
In order to resonate with a modern day audience and the everyday women, the central protagonist, Maud Watts, was created as a character who supports the movement. Although Emily Davison and Emmeline Pankhurst are both featured and heavily referenced within the film, it is considered that their individual stories’ would not engage the intended audience as well as one that had never before been told in cinema; the story of the foot soldiers of the early feminist movement.
Within the film, the major emphasis on representation lies within that of gender. Women are presented as underprivileged, second-class citizens, who should abide to a patriarchal society in which they are oppressed. Regardless of this, since the film’s protagonists are all female, women are positively represented as powerful, regardless of being restricted any power.
In contrast, men are represented negatively regardless of their high positions within the patriarchal society. Many of the men are presented as being vile characters, behaving atrociously to women. For example, Norman Taylor - Maud’s boss - is shown to sexually abuse his workers, regardless of some of their young ages, as well as to demean and punish them, forcing them to work long hours for little pay. They are also represented further as violent through the exploration of how they are viewed through the female characters eyes. For example, when Maud says: “We break windows, we burn things, because war is the only language men listen to.” However, regardless of this overwhelmingly negative representation of the male gender, it is also shown through characters such as Maud’s husband, Sonny, that not all of the men are evil but perhaps led easily by the social conventions of the patriarchal society at the time. Likewise, the most positive representation of men can be found in that of Edith’s - Maud’s friend, pharmacist, and the leader of the particular group of foot soldiers featured within the film - husband, Hugh, who supports his wife’s cause.
The struggles that the women face establish the narrative as one that tells a somewhat sad story, of torment and troubles, regardless of the sense of empowerment. This is also conveyed through the use of cinematography and other visual codes. For example, the use of cool midtones and low-key lighting is used almost continuously throughout the film alongside imagery that uses low saturations. The regular use of close-up shots ensured that the audience felt connected to the characters, able to observe their facial expressions and find an insight into their emotions. The use of long shots were also used, however scarcely, to emphasis the vastness of the movement - for example, in riot and assembly scenes. These visual and technical codes are all key in simulating a negative, disconcerting mood.
The use of various audio codes - non-diegetic sound, the emphasis on diegetic background noises, and music, included - were also all important in creating a sense of mood. A noteworthy example of sound being used effectively was where there was an absence of it. For example, within the scene in which Emily Davison is hit by a horse, there is a considerable length of silence. This forces the audience to focus on the reactions of the other characters and gives them time for the events to be processed, therefore creating a more effective scene.
The film uses a traditional linear narrative structure and leaves an open ending that allows the audience to use contextual information to complete the story. Likewise, it is important to note the symbolism of this open ending; the fight for women’s equality is not yet over. This symbolic meaning ensures that the film is still relevant and important in today’s society.
As what I can only imagine is an accurate portrayal of the events of the 1920’s which saw women from all backgrounds fight for their right to vote, I found “Suffragette” to be a film that successfully resonated with me, and I believe the entire of the rest of the audience, and offered a sense of empowerment in that standing up for what you believe in, standing up for your rights, and standing up for yourself is effective in making a change that is worth the sacrifices that need to be made. Feminism and gender equality is still a social issue today and I found that the film, particularly in the use of the end credits where the list of countries and the dates in which women were awarded the vote in the respective countries, effectively represented this fact.
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