I don't want my review of Suffragette to be too long, so I shall include some additional information on the fight for women's rights here.
In the movie, Maud Watts (Carey Mulligan) meets Emily Davison (Natalie Press) in prison. Davison was a real person, and an ardent suffragette.
She partook of the violent acts designed to draw attention to the cause of suffragettes, and as a result, was jailed nine times and force fed one hundred one times. A year before her death, she threw herself down a steel staircase in jail in an attempt to end the force feeding of all the women.
On June 4, 1913, Davison attended the Epsom Derby. During the race, she stepped out in front of King George V's horse. The horse somersaulted and rose to finish the race. The jockey's foot was caught in one stirrup. Unconscious, he was dragged to the finish line, but he survived.
Davison died four days later of a scull fracture and internal injuries. Her sister suffragettes gave her an extravagant funeral.
The question is, did Davison intend to commit suicide? At the time, many people thought she wished to call attention to women's suffrage by ending her life in an extravagant manner. Others speculated that she wanted to pull down the king's horse. (The belief that the woman thought she could grab and stop a galloping horse is madness.)
Modern analysis of the film suggests that Davison hoped to attach a "Votes For Women" banner or scarf to the king's horse, although a book has been written to argue against this theory. We'll never know the truth.
Click HERE to see a video of the race on my blog
Some of you mentioned you had never heard of Emily Davison, and wondered why you didn't learn about the suffragettes in school. I think high school history courses focus more on dates and events. We probably learned the year that women earned the right to vote, but didn't see the faces of the women--and men--behind the event.
And now I want to chat about the first suffragette I met: Mrs. Banks, in the Walt Disney movie Mary Poppins. As a young--very young child--I saw that Mrs. Banks wore pretty dresses while she marched with other women who wanted the right to vote.
It never occurred to me until I watched Suffragette that Mary Poppins belittles and denigrates the cause of the suffragettes. The Banks' children are unhappy because their father works all the time, and their mother is out protesting for women's rights. Mrs. Banks is portrayed as a silly creature who learns to give up her cause and stay at home so her family can be happy. It doesn't matter if she's happy and fulfilled. Her home is the place for her to achieve satisfaction.
Victorian ideals remain in place in Mary Poppins.
Do you remember this song?
Mrs. Banks appears unharmed--and quite fashionable--although she's been to a militant demonstration. Did it ever occur to you that one plot point of Mary Poppins is opposition to women's rights?
What do you think of these lyrics? Our daughter's daughters will adore us, and they'll sing in grateful chorus, Well done! Well done! Well done, sister suffragette.
It would be nice if we appreciated those who fought for our rights, but how can we appreciate women when we've never heard of them?
Infinities of love,
Janie Junebug
It is kind of difficult to put faces and names to the movement since we know so little about most of them.
ReplyDeleteI was a kid when Mary Poppins was released and I really did like that song.
I liked the song, too. I sang it with my daughter. It's fun. I didn't understand until I watched Suffragette that the movie Mary Poppins doesn't respect suffragettes.
DeleteHi Janie - Emily Davison was an extraordinary woman - there was a lot of interest here on the centenary of her death ... with some very interesting articles and programmes. I wrote about her three years ago (31 May 2013) ... I needed to get her out onto the blog.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen "Saving Mr Banks" - one day I will ... and now I'll note your thoughts here ... and on Mary Poppins ...
We got some rights in 1919, but not full franchise until 1928 ... I also put up a link to the Timeline of Women's Suffrage around the world ... which makes interesting noting.
Glad you enjoyed the film and finding out more about Emily Davison ... cheers Hilary
I appreciate the information you share, Hilary. Saving Mr. Banks is a nice movie, but it focuses more on the relationship between Walt Disney and Pamela Travers. I've never read the Mary Poppins books, so I don't know how Travers treated the topic of suffragettes, or if she mentioned them at all.
DeleteYou are right...we were taught when we got the right to vote but not what happened for that right. Glad to hear about the horse and jockey. Was the movie good?? I don't think she was trying to commit suicide otherwise she would have stood still and let the horses hit her. It almost looks like she was trying to stop the horses and the majority of people can't think that she wouldn't have known she can't do that. Now, as for Mary Poppins, I'm not surprised because Disney is mr. Good ole fashioned values and crap. When you think of the tv shows at the time, the women were still, for the most part, dutiful housewives in pearls and dresses having dinner ready for the man....blecchhhh
ReplyDeleteYes, Disney movies are a product of their time. Davison can be seen putting her arms up toward the horse. A wish to attach a sash to the horse makes sense, and I think she didn't care if she were injured doing it. Emily Davison has already suffered greatly for the cause.
DeleteI'd heard of the British suffragette who died at the race track but did not know her name.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I could supply a name and face. God bless Google.
DeleteI'm just becoming aware of Davison and her pursuit of voting rights for women. Of course this was about much more than voting; back then women had no rights to their own children, and men could take the kids away anytime the chose.
ReplyDeleteWomen also had no right to their money. If a woman of means married, her fortune belonged to her husband.
Delete"It would be nice if we appreciated those who fought for our rights, but how can we appreciate women when we've never heard of them?" Unfortunately TRUE!!
ReplyDeleteThat's why I read a lot of biographies and watch documentaries and movies that portray a historical period.
DeleteI never liked the movie Mary Poppins.
ReplyDeleteIt was sad and weird with sad people singing about birds and sadness and then there is strange Mary Poppins hanging out with Bert and giving the kids sugar. And then turn around and having happy happy songs and dancing !
Only person in America who disliked this movie. Yuck !
cheers, parsnip
And then everything is okay because Mr. Banks doesn't have a job and Mrs. Banks gives up her activities. I think that's called unemployed and unfulfilled.
DeleteI never really watched Mary Poppins growing up... but it doesn't surprise me that the movie is against women's rights. I might have to check out Suffragettes.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Jessica