Iron Jawed Angels Essay Sample

In 2004, it was created a historical drama film called Iron Jawed Angels. This film tells the story of the famous suffragists, who fought for their rights. It didn’t become very popular among ordinary people, but it is beneficial to watch it in order to know more about the history of the United States. The critics left different reviews about the film. Some of them were very positive when others quite negative. Yet, most of the critics stated that to watch this film means to learn a lesson about American history. Iron Jawed Angels are about two famous names of well-to-do women: Lucy Burns and Alice Paul. They participated in the suffrage movement in England. However, after this, the decided to spread the suffragettes’ ideas in the United States of America. By this time, a National American Woman Suffrage Association or NAWSA already existed there. However, they thought that this association didn’t do what it should do in order to protect the rights of the women. For this reason, they created the National Women’s Party. Thanks to Burns and Paul, the NWP could gain success. It was able to share their thoughts and ideas with other people in society. Their role was to courage women to stand up for what they deserve to get under the constitution. The fighting was severe because men didn’t want to let women their rights. However, event when these two women were attacked, they were strong protecting important things. They became famous not only for their participation in a suffrage movement but also for their peaceful but very effective strategies and tactics that encouraged other women to fight for their right to vote. The film about these women is focused on the American women’s suffrage movement in the 1910s and its leaders. The film starts from the returning of Lucy Burns and Alice Paul from England. After this, they wanted to join NAWSA, but they understood that their ideas are more radical and forceful than its leaders had. In 1913, they organized the Woman Suffrage Procession right before the inauguration of President Woodrow Wilson. Apart from the historical events, the film contains a couple of fictional events and fictional characters. It was decided to include these parts in order to make the film more interesting and dramatic. Later, these two women created the Nation Woman’s Party. Alongside with the main events, the audience can watch the romantic line of Alice Paul and Ben Weismann. The next steps of these women were protesting against Wilson in the Silent Sentinels outside the White House. These actions led to arrest of the leaders and other suffragists. In spite of the awful treatment after arrest, the women undertake a hunger strike. After all, the pressure put on Wilson, when the NAWSA joined the NWP called for a 19th amendment to the Constitution. As for me, I liked the film very much. The plot is great and the acting is also very good. Apart from this, there is one more reason why I liked it. It presents a great story that includes not only historical events, but also the romantic ones. It helped me to understand what it was to be a woman in the beginning of the 20th century and how hard it was to get the right to vote. Yet, the modern accent they talked and jokes they told, helped me to see that these women were the same as we are with their own hopes and beliefs. To learn history by books is the good thing, but a good historical film helps to imagine how it was. In any case, most of the people will find this film very interesting and poignant.