Iron Jawed Angels

During the early nineteenth century, a prominent political movement for women’s suffrage was sweeping over Washington D.C. D.C. aided in providing the optimal setting and platform for the advancement of the cause of women’s suffrage in the United States, as it offered a direct connection between those fighting for suffrage and the government that would be able to legislate to make the enfranchisement of women an actual reality. Director Katja von Garnier utilizes D.C. as the setting of her film Iron Jawed Angels that gives deeper insight into women’s fight for suffrage. As a film based on history, it is vital to evaluate its realism, portrayals and historical accuracy, and lessons that can be gleaned, since it will offer as a comparison

Throughout the film, the women’s suffrage movement is portrayed as primarily accurate. The film is certainly accomplished in depicting the intensity and fierce fight that was fought for women’s suffrage. Some aspects were perhaps overdramatized, but for the most part, the film remained true to the actual story. The confidence of the leaders in how they speak, the relation of everything in the film to suffrage, and the vivid prison scenes toward the end of the film all exhibit what was necessary for women to obtain suffrage. With the inclusion of the stark opposition that the suffragists faced through protests and lobbying, the viewer gains an understanding and appreciation of what the women in the film went through for women’s suffrage. Whenever the suffragist leaders (i.e. Paul and Burns) would encounter adversity, they would continue to be strong and keep on fighting for suffrage, which offered a reminder to the viewer of the importance of the contents being presented. In other words, with the serious tone and nature of the film, it portrays the women’s suffrage movement with weight and that the viewer needs to understand the sacrifice that went into the cause. When compared to history, scenes in the movie might not have been as dramatic, but the film is certainly

Firstly, the movie teaches one the history of the movement. With the aforementioned evidences in mind, the film is definitely a primarily realistic and historically accurate film, meaning one can learn more about the suffrage movement, what the cost was, and the events the culminated and led to women being granted suffrage in the United States in 1920. In addition, the film teaches the importance of fighting for what one believes in despite opposition and doing what one believes to be right. These lessons are indeed valuable, as the portrayal of the intense determination of the characters in pursuing their cause of suffrage incurs an inspiration among viewers to fight for their own cause in life. Furthermore, the furthering of one’s knowledge of history through the film is also valuable, as learning from history is always beneficial; learning from the past is what enables the success of our future in not making the same mistakes as before, and it causes individuals to understand the successes and failures of past actions and their consequences of those who have gone before them that would otherwise be unheard of. In regards to the agenda of the film, it primarily focuses on women as those who oppressed and are in a struggle that is seemingly ‘them versus the world’. However, despite insurmountable odds,