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Mar. 14 - Mar. 21, 2004 |
Outtakes
The Iron Jaws of Suffragettes
By Angela Baldassarre
Originally Published: 2004-02-15
Despite its unappealing title, HBO's Iron Jawed Angels is a fascinating and historically engrossing tale about women's struggle at getting voting rights in the United States.
Directed by Katja von Garnier, the story ranges from 1912 to 1920 when a group of fiercely dedicated young suffragettes band together to cajole and embarrass a supposedly democratic country into adapting a Constitutional amendment guaranteeing women the right to vote. The film, airing on The Movie Network on February 15, is a who's who of independent actresses: Hilary Swank, Anjelica Huston, Molly Parker, Julia Ormond, Laura Fraser, Vera Farminga, Brooke Smith and Frances O'Connor.
What particularly makes this engaging drama worth seeing is the contemporary manner in which is told, using rock n' roll music, a highly mobile camera, and "speed ramp" techniques.
This scribe was not familiar with the exploits of activists Alice Paul and Lucy Burns, who took the suffragette movement to storm. After watching this terrific film, I found myself searching the internet for more information. This film is a keeper for when my daughter is old enough to understand. Not to be missed. 8 p.m.
***
For a racy evening at home, tune into History Television on Valentine's Day for The Anatomy of Burlesque. Lindalee Tracey's documentary is an irreverent romp through the history of burlesque, particularly striptease. The two-and-a-half hour film features footage of Charlie Chaplin, Mata Hari, Little Egypt, the Minsky Brothers, Sally Rand, Lili St. Cyr, Mae West, as well as references to Geoffrey Chaucer and Salome. While the picture would've fared less irritating if Tracey had remained behind the camera instead of strutting occasionally in the way, it's still makes for entertaining viewing. 9 p.m.
***
The Images Festival of independent cinema is presenting Trent Harris' award-winning Beaver Trilogy at Innis Town Hall on February 19. Originally a documentary on Olivia Newton-John impersonator and enthusiast Gary, Harris turned the picture into a 1981 dramatic documentary starring Sean Penn as Gary, and then in 1985 a feature starring Crispin Glover. In 2000 the director took all three films, and edited them together in this strange but very cool experimental movie. 7:30p.m.
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