Suffragette is an intense drama that tracks the story of the foot soldiers of the early feminist movement as they fought for the right to vote, women who were forced underground to pursue a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse with an increasingly brutal state. These women were not primarily from the genteel educated classes, they were working women who had seen peaceful protest achieve nothing. Radicalised and turning to violence as the only route to change, they were willing to lose everything in their fight for equality – their jobs, their homes, their children and their lives. The character of Maud, played by Carey Mulligan, is one such footsoldier. The story of her fight for dignity is both heart-breaking and inspirational. Featuring a supporting cast including Helena Bonham Carter, Brendan Gleeson, Anne-Marie Duff, Ben Whishaw and Meryl Streep, the film is written by Abi Morgan and powerfully directed by Sarah Gavron (Brick Lane).
The University of Salford’s Dr Kirsty Fairclough-Isaacs previews Suffragette and The Time is Now – a film season celebrating women who’ve forced change.