Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Suffragette Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 29, 2016

Sometimes, life becomes something greater beyond the daily routine and the performance of whatever task is necessary to get to bed and awake the following morning. Sometimes, there arises an issue, an idea, a want, a need that, for some, take on a significance greater than all of life's other works and ambitions and established conditions to the way things are and, usually, the way most everyone else wants them to be. And sometimes, chasing down that something else means sacrifice, up to an including ones very own life. History is rife with stories of the men and women who changed the world by standing up, standing tall, and standing apart for what they believe, often at great cost to themselves and those around them. Director Sarah Gavron's (Brick Lane) Suffragette tells the story of several such individuals who stood against tradition and apart from their peers in an effort to earn the right to vote. The movie does not concern itself with any politics beyond their struggle, focusing instead on the social resistance they face -- including from their own families -- as they reshape their lives to champion a cause that they hold more dearly than anything else.

London, 1912. The women's suffrage movement, led by Emmeline Pankhurst (Meryl Streep), is alive and well, though it's supported, openly, anyway, by only a small fraction of women and few, if any, men. Men have long ruled that women cannot vote, claiming that granting them that right would destroy the social structure. They also believe that women lack the mental acumen to make a proper decision at the polling place and that women would subsequently demand ever greater roles in government. One day, young wife and mother of one Maud Watts (Carey Mulligan), a tired laundry worker, is forced to testify about conditions at her place of employment when her fellow co-worker and suffragette Emily Davison (Natalie Press) arrives too beaten and fatigued to mount an effective argument. Maud, who decries a woman's lower wages and longer work hours, finds herself caught up in the moment and suddenly much more sympathetic to the suffrage movement. Alongside others, including Edith Ellyn (Helena Bonham Carter), she becomes a proud and integral part of the very fabric of the women's suffrage movement. But that also means she finds herself in the sights of the law, including Inspector Steed (Brendan Gleeson), and disgraced even in her own family when her traditionally minded husband Sonny (Ben Whishaw) distances himself and their son Georgie (Adam Michael Dodd) from her.

Suffragette tells its story through the eyes and experiences of a young woman who is at first but caught up in the struggle and who grows to become an integral arm of it. The movie works through the story of the Suffragette movement in 1912 London, depicting icons such as Emmeline Pankhurst rallying the troops at a quick-to-end gathering of supporters when the law attempts to track her down. But the film isn't really about the nuts-and-bolts details of the movement -- the planning, the posturing, the maneuvering, the execution of planned social disobedience -- but rather the contrast between the personal toll the movement takes on young Maud Watts and her ever growing dedication to the Suffragettes, even as the rest of her life literally crumbles around her. Indeed, the movie's most interesting themes revolve around the broader social consequences of the women's suffrage movement and, more intimately, the destruction of Maud's world that sees not only the tangential pieces of her life -- co-workers and neighbors -- shun her but also sees the destruction of her own family when her husband kicks her out and sends their son to live with a more traditionally minded family. Yet even as everything Maud loves vanishes, her steadfastness and dedication only increase. Whether losing her family or holding a hunger strike in the face of abusive law enforcement, she transitions from quiet sympathizer to principled participant to central figure who will stop at nothing to see her side succeed. The movie effortlessly, and often brilliantly, captures a world teetering on the edge between social progress and desperate grasp of the old ways with Maud at the very epicenter of it all.

Suffragette, however, isn't quite so perfect in all areas. In the midst of its detailed and raw examination of the intricacies and hardships, the purposes and power of the movement, the film tends to fall into bouts of cliché. Twice, in key moments meant to reinforce Maud's commitment, two of the people she respects and holds most dear -- Emmeline Pankhurst and Emily Davison -- shower with practically identical platitudes of "never give up, never surrender." One would hope for something a little more dramatically substantial and persuasive in a movie that's all about the depth of sacrifice and the commitment to a cause in the face of all odds, but apparently trite maxims are all it takes to change the world. That aside, the movie holds its own well enough, telling an important and relevant story supported by extraordinarily strong production design and performances. Mulligan is wonderful in her role, balancing the physical stresses and emotional fatigues with a soulful dedication and steadfastness that's ever admirable. The movie looks gorgeous, even with its deliberately softer, drearier façade that emphasizes the painful struggles and stiff and stuffy traditional counters that stand in the movement's way.

Suffragette Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Suffragette's 1080p transfer features a deliberately dull and downtrodden appearance. The film, shot primarily on Super 16 film, presents a period look accentuated by a steady and obvious, but never intrusive, layer of grain. Colors are deliberately muted, too. Outside (and inside the laundry building), they generally favor a cool, bleak, blue-gray dominant appearance, while interiors are often bathed in warmer golds and ambers. It's not until the final few minutes when things open up to a significantly more full and flush color palette. The image favors a softer façade, but never excessively so. Image clarity is excellent and sharpness soars, insofar as the photography will allow. Raw heavy clothing and brick façade textures, for example, appear well defined and tactile. Black levels favor a slightly more fatigued appearance, in-line with the movie's overall look. Compression issues are generally not a factor. It's not the prettiest transfer on Blu-ray, nor is it meant to be. It's faithful to the intended style and delights in that context.

Suffragette Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Suffragette's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack presents the film's very deep, very serious music with positive refinement and heft. Stage spread is wide and surround use enveloping, but the highlight is a strong, but never overpowering, low end in support. Many of the other highlights involve street-level activity where London springs to life with the sounds of rattly antique cars, heavy footfalls, chatter -- the usual hustle and bustle -- and other elements like distant ringing bells. Shattering glass, crowd chants, and other responses to acts of violence or large gatherings offers an immersive sensation. A couple of small explosions pop with decent aggression, and a much more substantial explosion late in the movie features a fair bit more LFE power. Dialogue delivery is firmly grounded in the center and plays with excellent definition and prioritization.

Suffragette Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Suffragette contains three featurettes and an audio commentary. A voucher for a UV/iTunes digital copy code is included with purchase.

• Inside Suffragette (1080p, 10:31): An exploration of the film's historical accuracy and fictional creations, character qualities, casting, costumes, shooting locations, and the film's relevancy today.
• Suffragette: Looking Back, Looking Forward (1080p, 7:10): Cast and crew offer a closer look at the real history depicted in the film and touch on the story's relevancy today.
• Making the VFX for Suffragette (1080p, 5:07): Director Sarah Gavron, Production Designer Alice Normington, and Visual Effects Supervisor Simon Hughes essentially provide audio commentary over various clips as they discuss digitally enhancing and supporting several scenes.
• Audio Commentary: Director Sarah Gavron and Screenwriter Abi Morgan discuss set design, the title, casting, scene construction, practical elements and supportive digital effects, the history behind the movie, characters, and more. The track is smartly spoken and nicely supportive of the film.

Suffragette Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Suffragette tells a relevant and dramatically captivating story of what it means to stand for principles, particularly as they go against societal norms and accepted traditions. The movie takes audiences down an emotionally dark path as Maud's life crumbles but, at the same time, her commitment to the cause soars. It's a fascinating juxtaposition and one that star Carey Mulligan handles extraordinarily well, the platitudes that drive her notwithstanding. Universal's Blu-ray release of Suffragette offers faithful video, robust audio, and a few good extras. Highly recommended.