-about the British film "The Voice of Women's Rights"
Zhang Ling
In 2015, the film "Suffragette" (Suffragette) about British women's fight for voting rights in the early twentieth century was released, sparking controversy in the series. Some people criticized the T-shirts worn by several protagonists (Kerry Mulligan, Helena Bonham Carter, Meryl Streep) printed "I would rather resist than be a slave" to hurt the feelings of African Americans, and some Some people think that the film "whitewashes" the history of feminist resistance, focusing only on white female activists and ignoring other ethnic participants (the criticisms are mainly from the United States). A movie triggers so many topics, it can be elaborated. My experience of watching movies and what I heard and read is almost a "journey of tears and fire." There are moments of sorrow and the power of firm resistance. Emotional expression should not be abusive, and the history of a century ago has echoes in the contemporary era.
The movement for women to fight for the right to vote in the United Kingdom went on peacefully for fifty years. It was ridiculed and ignored, with little effect until Pankhurst (1858), the founder of the "Women's Social and Political Union" (WSPU) and the advocate of the women's voting rights movement. -1928) Madam calls on women to use radical and violent methods, so that those in power can hear their voices. The story of "Voice of Feminism" begins here and now, in London in 1912, from the perspective of a working-class woman Combinations, such as female worker Annie Kenney, tailor and socialist Hannah Mitchell and Constance Lytton). 24-year-old Laundress (Kerry Mulligan), living a poor but satisfying life with her husband and son, until she accidentally got involved in women’s campaign for voting rights, was beaten and humiliated by the police. Her husband was reprimanded by her neighbors, and she was even more aware that she had worked overtime in a laundry factory since the age of 7, very low wages, had been sexually harassed by the factory owner, daring to be angry but not speaking, working diligently only to be a good wife and mother... There have been changes. As she said after testifying in Congress about her work status: "I can live this life in another way."
However, this price is particularly painful for working-class women: Maud was swept out by her husband, refused to visit his son, unemployed because of rebelling against the factory owner, repeatedly arrested and imprisoned, on a hunger strike in prison and forcibly inserted into the nose with a straw... …She and her female comrades support and inspire each other, and all the unfair treatment makes them more resolute fighters. They broke window panes, bombed post boxes, destroyed telecommunications systems, and bombed dignitaries' residences. Maude’s words to the police detective were shocking: "We broke the windows and burned the houses. Only in this way can you hear our voices! ... We are in thousands of households and are half of the human race. You can't stop us! We will win in the end. !" They used radical means to arouse attention, but what needs to be emphasized is: they destroy property, never hurt or intimidate people. Some English commentaries call their actions "terrorist activities" extremely inappropriate. When they assemble and come out of prison, they always carry and pass on small flowers, in their hands, chests, and hats, the hope of a beautiful life. No one was killed or injured because of them, and it was them who shed blood and sacrificed in the movement.
In the end, comrade-in-arms Emily Davison (1872-1913) rushed to the king's horse on the derby horse day in 1913, hanging the banner "votes for women" on it, and was killed by the galloping horse. This scene was shot by the silent film at the time and was widely reported by the world media. Her sacrifice made the women's voting rights movement attract more people's attention. The banner left on the scene was picked up by a father and wrapped around his newborn daughter to attend Davidson's funeral. Davidson, who has a real person in history, is well-educated. Because he is a woman, job opportunities are limited. After joining the resistance, he was arrested 9 times. With her life, she fulfilled the tenet advocated by Pankhurst: "Deeds speak louder than words", and also declared: Ning Ming will die and live silently.
Female protesters went on a hunger strike in prison to fight for a more humane treatment for their inmates. For fear of causing deaths to the government, the prison authorities forced their noses to feed them. The process was extremely painful and humiliating, and their painful cry (Davidson had been forcibly fed 49 times) was shocking. In his memoirs, Pankhurst, who has been in jail many times and was also fed by nasal feeding, wrote in his memoirs: "In my lifetime, I will never forget the pain caused by those screams echoing in my eardrums." This passage was reproduced in "The Voice of Feminist Rights", and the sound was shocking and echoed for a long time. And Davidson at the racecourse, through the noisy soundscape, the sound of horseshoes, and the sudden silence after she fell to the ground, it was suffocating... Photographer Eduard Grau conveyed the chaotic timeliness with shaking, imminent hand-held photography And the sense of urgency makes the images in the film rough, full of news documentary contemporary texture and sensuality.
In 1918, Britain stipulated that men over 21 years old and women over 30 years old had the right to vote; in 1928, it was stipulated that women over 21 years old could vote. The campaign for women’s voting rights came to an end, during which more than a thousand women were arrested and imprisoned. In the struggle of women to fight for the right to vote, "World War I" also played an important role (this point was omitted in the film). During the war, Pankhurst proposed to end the armed struggle, support the government, and unite with the outside world (Germany). After the war, the government should appease all parties serving the country, break through social class and gender prejudice, and formally achieve relative fairness in political rights. The ending subtitles of "Voice of Women's Rights" show the country and year in which women won the right to vote. World wars and the reorganization of the power structure brought huge disasters to mankind, and also brought opportunities to change injustice. For example, Russia (1917) and the Chinese Revolution (1949) made socialist countries female, and "World War II" and anti-colonization made European countries (France). , Italy, Japan, etc.) and former colonial countries (such as India) women have the right to vote. In Switzerland, regarded by Westerners as "civilized", women only had the right to vote in 1971. I heard the American audience in the back row exclaimed, they must not want to believe that how Chinese women can get the right to vote earlier than Swiss women...
"The Voice of Feminist" is produced by almost all female teams, screenwriter Abby Morgan ( "Iron Lady" screenwriter), director Sarah Gafron (who directed "Brick Lane"), two producers and main actors are all women. Responding to criticisms about racial issues and "whitewashing", director Sarah Gavron explained that according to their historical research done over the past decade, white women were the absolute main body among the female protesters of the British working class around 1912. In the 1950s after World War II, the population of Britain became more diverse due to changes in immigration policies. At that time, two Asian women participated, but they were aristocrats and were treated more politely by the government, unlike working class women. British actor Helena Bonham Carter played Eddies, the pharmacist who blew up the post box with homemade explosives, a steadfast fighter against sexism, and her grandmother’s father was the British Prime Minister Herbert who had fiercely opposed women’s voting rights. · Asquith. Helena said: "I want to talk to my elders in this way."
Gavron mentioned the contemporary relevance of the film: There are still 62 million girls in the world who cannot receive education due to gender discrimination, only 22% of British parliamentarians are women, most industries have different pay for equal work, and one third of British women suffer from various Forms of sexual violence. In recent years, more female practitioners have criticized gender inequality and salary differences in the film industry. So far, only 1-10% of films in the world are produced by female directors. History is written by powerful men, and the history of women is suppressed and erased. Many brave women from the bottom work all year round, have a low literacy rate, have no time to write autobiography, and cannot write their own history, but they are the pioneers in promoting change. Gavron is willing to continue to dig out the stories of women who have been obscured by history, so that their voices can be heard.
The response of men from young to older to this film is also intriguing. In London, a 13-year-old boy stood up in the cinema after watching "The Voice of Feminist Rights" and shouted: votes for women! Producer Alison Owen’s 14-year-old son and boys’ school classmates went to the group to watch, go back to the group A feminist society. The actor Bradan Gleason, who played the Irish police detective in the film, sighed: "I have never been in a crew with such a high estrogen level in my life. I feel good!" Of course, there are also frivolous male netizens who wrote: Davidson rushes When he entered the racecourse, he was trampled on by a horse and was killed. I wonder what happened to that horse? The condescending ridicule and ridicule have always been there, as it was a hundred years ago, and it will still be the same a hundred years later. The education that women receive during their growth is usually "Don’t make trouble, don’t show up, and be a good girl". Women in "Voice of Feminism", in order to fight discrimination and injustice, and fight for their legitimate rights and interests, they use force and are defiled. Minghua, they said: We don’t want to be law breakers, but lawmakers! In 1979, the first female prime minister appeared in the United Kingdom. In the not-too-distant future, perhaps the first female president in the United States will appear. However, the daily and structural violence and discrimination will not disappear due to these iconic incidents (also as the director of "The Voice of Feminist" said, I hope the film has a broader meaning, and it is not only gender issues that are fighting , Including injustices of all ethnic groups, classes, etc.). These are unfinished stories. The rights and interests are not obtained through charity and charity from the upper level, but through protracted struggle and even bloody sacrifice. The struggle for fairness and justice will continue, and the streets, homes, and movie screens will all be battlefields without gunpowder.
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