Set in 1912, “Suffragette” tells the story of the struggle of ordinary, working class women to obtain the vote at the turn of the 20th Century.
Carey Mulligan is brilliant as Maud Watts, a laundress in the East End of London, defined only as a wife and a mother, repeatedly sexually assaulted by the laundry’s owner, but dutifully accepting of the drudgery of her life.
She is encouraged to join the movement for Suffrage by a fellow laundry worker as the cause is becoming more militant, and the women turn to civil disobedience and eventually violent destruction.
A few scenes are very hard to watch, but the acting is superb from this incredible cast of women, including Meryl Streep as Emmeline Pankhurst, Anne-Marie Duff, Natalie Press, Romola Garai and Helena Bonham-Carter.
The film is beautifully shot, and the set and costume designs are fabulous. And though not entirely factually accurate, it is an incredibly moving piece of cinema; thought-provoking and well made.
8/10