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IronJawedAngelsFilmCritique

AbigailStiles

PoliticalScience195

ProfessorMiller

17,February2016

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ThefilmIronJawedAngelsisdirectedbyKatjavonGarnieranditspurposewasto
bringalivethestrugglestheAmericanwomenfacedtoearntherighttovote.Itisbased
between1912and1914.Themovieservestonotonlydemonstratehowwomenworkedwith
thegovernmentviaprotestsandwhatwasonpublicrecord,butalsohowtheSuffrage
movementaffectedtheirhomesandfamilies.
AlthoughthemostwellknownmembersoftheWomensSuffragemovementareSusan
B.AnthonyandElizabethCadyStanton,thismoviefollowsLucyBurnsandAlicePaulandhow
theyrevolutionizedthemovement.Atthebeginningofthefilm,BurnsandPaulmeetwiththe
membersoftheNationalAmericanWomanSuffrageAssociation.Thetwoladieswanttofunnel
theiryoungenergyintochangingthemovementfromastatebystateapproachtopressingfora
moreconstitutionalamendment.AlicePaulisallowedtotakeovertherecruitmentofvolunteers
providingshecancomeupwithherownfunding.Thetwoladiestakeamoreuniqueapproach
comparedtotheearliermembersoftheorganizationandusethenegativepublicitypromoted
aboutthemtotheiradvantage.Duringthistime,AlicePaulagreestogotodinnerwithapolitical
cartoonistwhomshecaresfor,however,shechoosestoforegoherrelationshipforthesakeof
hercause.TheNAWSAraisesmoneytopublishanewspaperarticlethatwillboycottWoodrow
Wilsonsnextelection.Amember,Cutt,urgesforaninvestigationintotheexpendituresofAlice
PaulandLucyBurnssheeventuallyleavestheNAWSAtoformherownWomensSuffrage
groupcalledtheNationalWomansParty.Theexhaustedwomenworkhardtravellingacross
thecountrytoraiseawarenessamidstWorldWarI.Withlittlerest,oneofthegroupmembers,
eventuallycollapsesandpassesawayandthegroupisputtoahaltforthetimebeing.Alice
PaulandLucyBurnseventuallycomeupwithaboldplantopickettheWhiteHousewherethey
arearrestedforobstructingtrafficandsentencedtoaworkhouseincludingBurns,Paul,a

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Senatorswife,andallotherpicketers..Whilstimprisoned,thewomenfacehorrifying
circumstancesincludingbeinghandcuffedwhiletheyslept,dirtylivingconditionsandbeing
forcefed.ASenatorgoestovisithiswifeandsheisabletosliphimanotedetailingtheir
inhumanetreatment.TheSenatorrevealsthetreatmentofthewomentothepublicandthe
popularopinionquicklyswitchestosidewiththewomen.TheNationalWomansPartyusesthis
timetopersuadeWilsontosupportthewomen,andheeventuallygivesaspeechrevealingthat
hewillsupportthewomensrighttovote.By1920,35ofthe36statesneededtogivewomen
therighthavevotedandTennesseebecomesthelasttovoteforit,allthatwasneededwasthe
voteofonemaninfavor,andatelegramfromhismotherswayedhisvoteforthewomen.in
1920,theSusanB.Anthonyamendmentgoesintoeffectandwomenearntherighttovote.
Themoviewasrelativelybasedontheactualeventsofwhattranspiredduringthistime.
Thefilmmakersdidaverygoodjobstickingtotrueeventsandtherewereveryfewerrors.A
few,though,werethatmostoftheflagsinthemovieportray50starswhichdidnotexistatthat
time.Mostothererrorswerecostumingerrorssuchasclothingthatwastoomodernorwomens
wristwatchesthatdidnotexistatthattime.AfinalerroroccursduringWoodrowWilsonsspeech
andthatisthattheflagisnothungcorrectlyastheStarsshouldalwaysbeintheupperleft.