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Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death

1196 views. 2011-5-12 14:57

Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death

a film review

-XISU-MWZ-

The Iron Jawed Angel is a film on feminine movement in America in the early 20th century. In this film, Alice Paul and Lucy Burns led a group of women to fight for women’s suffrage right, which was part of America’s democracy. There were inevitably misunderstandings and blocks. There were sacrifices such as Inez Mill Holland who died at a young age for the burden of the fight for freedom, and Alice Paul who herself and her fellow members were under arrest for their parade before the White House. In the jail, she went on a hunger strike to continue her protest, facing inhumanly tortures from the District governors. Nevertheless, they stuck to it until the coming of success. In the end, “On August 26th, 1920, the 19th Amendment giving women the right the vote became constitutional law.” “The United States Court of Appeals declared the arrests of all 218 suffragists unconstitutional.”

In the fight for freedom and women suffrage, their courage contributed a lot. They had no fear for death in the jail. They united together in front of any difficulties. There are some lines that impressed my lot.

"Look into your heart. I swear to you, mine is no different. You want some means of self-expression, some way to satisfy your personal ambition, so do I. You want a voice in the government under which you live, so do I. What is there to be explained?" This is what Alice said when she was asked “tell me about your cause” by a psychiatry doctor after a few days’ hunger strike in prison. Right! No difference! This is the voice of American women. They wanted their opinions expressed. At that time, women were taught to be a “lady”; they were treated like private properties of the male ones. They wanted to have every opportunity to fulfill their dreams, to occupy a proper position in society and to have their wants and needs written in the constitution. They needed their voice heard, being unshackled! If women were an organic part of social life, beyond a house’s boundary, how could they be denied the right to vote?! With voting rights, women could speak with more power, having had elevated their social status.

Anther scene is the discussion between Wilson and his men. They were reckoning what should be done to Alice and her women. There were differences and contradictions between them.

“Give me liberty or give me death,' Patrick Henry, an American hero.” This is from the man who had sympathy towards Alice Paul.

“Apples and oranges.” Not all men had realized women’s struggle and value.

“In oranges and women, courage is often mistaken for insanity.” This is a sarcastic comment for the government worker. It was bitter and sour. In the early 20th century, women were sacrificing not only for themselves but also for the female generations afterwards. They were the real warriors. When we look back at their fight now, can we remember their sufferings at that time? More often, nowadays women are enjoying what has been gained by forerunners a dozen of years ago without even noticing it!

“These walls are kind of funny like that. First you hate them, and then you get used to them. Enough time passed, get so you depend on them. That's institutionalizing.” Women shall not be used to what they were living. There shall be someone to break the frames so that everyone could breathe freely! This reminds me of Shawshank Redemption. There is one line goes like this, “some birds aren't meant to be caged, that's all. Their feathers are just too bright.” These iron jawed angels are bright-colored warriors backed with a gloomy background. In that ignorant society, they were pioneering thinkers and activists.

Forward out of darkness, leave behind the night.

Forward out of error, forward into light.

We have to fight for it！