Ahh. Back When Feminism Was Cool

I've been sick all weekend, bound to the couch with a box of tissues, a stack of books, and the remote control. HBO was showing a slew of historical movies, like JFK with Kevin Costner, about the investigation lead by D.A. Jim Garrison to uncover the conspiracy to assassinate the President and Cry Freedom with Denzel Washington about apartheid in South Africa. Since I was on a historical kick, I popped in one of my very favorite and semi-obscure movies: Iron Jawed Angels. The film is based on the true story of suffrage-activists Alice Paul and Lucy Burns, who campaigned for a federal amendment to the constitution, granting women the right to vote during the 1910s.


I discovered this movie last year when I had to watch it for my American History class. We were studying the over 60-year long suffrage movement, led by three generations of very diverse feminists. Alice Paul and Lucy Burns were third generation feminists: bold, educated, and idealistic, dedicated to a federal amendment to put an end to the injustice of 20 million women who were denied self-government and were still taxed without representation. Alice Paul, Lucy Burns and other like them rejected the the slow and tiresome task of state by state campaigns, which after 60 years, only produced 9 states that allowed women to vote. I love this film because it tells a true story, of which not many people are aware. Sure, most people know women won the right to vote in 1919, but how we got there is a little sketchy.

Besides the creation of three sub-plot characters, the movie maintains a high level of fidelity to the historical account. Every character, demonstration, protest, parade, arrest, presidential speech, and newspaper article depicted are real, right down to the very words on the signs that suffragists held up as they protested. I've watched this movie several times with different people and every time a certain part arrives, everyone asks, "Did that really happen?!" And that's why this movie is important to watch: 1919 was less than 100 years ago, and to realize the hardships women endured because they wanted to vote is an important and shocking part of our history. The first time I watched this film, it made me want to go out and vote in every election available. Voting is a right I have taken for granted because I did not realize how much women had to sacrifice and struggle to get it.

Being this is an HBO film, there is some bizarre cinematography that I could have done without. The film makers mix contemporary music into the film, which I enjoy, but others have said it distracts from the time-period. The first half of the film tends to be a little slow, but once World War I breaks out, the history comes out in full force.

WARNING: For the sensitive crowd, there is one inappropriate scene with Hillary Swank in a bath tub. There is no nudity, you only can see her face and legs. However, this montage is unimportant to the rest of the film and if you find it offensive, just fast forward when you hear the Sarah McLachlan song start to play and you will not miss a thing. :)

Anyway, once again, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and felt inspired by the courage of these women to persevere for what they believed in. It's also a good reminder that it only takes a few dedicated people to change the course of history.

Here is a photo from one of the protest signs in the movie and the corresponding one from real life:

Here is the trailer for the movie: