Such a frustrating disappointment

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

I really enjoyed this movie. The cast was amazing, and the parts well acted. Amazing wardrobe, and the sets were beautifully done.One major issue I have with this movie is the soundtrack. I've always loved how the music sets the tone of a film. This movie fails on an epic scale here. There's R&B for crying out loud!! In a movie set in the beginning of the 20th century??? And a historical drama at that? Maybe it's just me....And Hillary Swank is her usual phenomenal self. Other than the unusual music choices, I'd highly recommend this movie to anyone who loves historical dramas.

I knew when I saw the woman's naked back scrawled with Votes For Women in what appeared to be red lipstick that this would be yet another stinker from HBO. We know this network is capable of good efforts, such as Band of Brothers, but more often than not, they produce anachronistic potboilers masquerading as history. While some of these characters lived, others were created to suit the mawkish tendencies of the producer, writer and director. I could find no evidence of the Leightons in the history sources I consulted. I didn't do an exhaustive search, but their story also felt contrived. Suffragettes in general were single-minded, serious women, not pouty little twits who mooned about on swings with leaves swirling all over them while hip-hop blasted. What was up with that hideous soundtrack? I taught college for years, and my students often amazed me with their capacity to appreciate stories from other eras. Hip-hop has no place in a historical film. No wonder American students suffer from brain atrophy. If you never challenge people, then they cannot learn and grow. When I watched the brilliant Shoulder to Shoulder (the British tale of their suffrage movement) during the 70s, I never expected to hear Led Zeppelin or the Who in the soundtrack. I wouldn't have wanted to. Period music is necessary to create mood and tone. Likewise, those disgusting costumes, which were just plain wrong. The sets looked anachronistic, as well, no less as soundstagey as all get out. Whenever the characters went outside to stand in the cold, no condensation emerged with their breaths. I can't abide cheap, phony productions, and that is what we too often get in these American pieces. Many of the songs were rather lascivious, as were the gratuitous scenes of the homely Swank (she is a decent actress, but she is hardly attractive) masturbating in the bathtub, complete with too many shots of her over-collagened lips. Ben Weissman, the so-called cartoonist/love interest, was a fictional creation. This sort of fictionalized love story in the midst of a biopic seems nothing short of insulting to the viewers, as well as to the historical women who suffered greatly for their cause. With just a few exceptions, women were only just emerging as public femme-fatales at this point, but many of these songs had a slutty tone. In addition to these flaws, the film definitely dragged in many places. Watch Shoulder to Shoulder instead. American suffragettes deserve better treatment than this aimless mess.

Iron Jawed Angels is a true story based on the life of radical suffragists who played a key role in winning the federal constitutional amendment that guaranteed women the right to vote. The film focuses on the years between 1912 and 1920, the last eight in a seventy-two year fight for women to claim the right to vote. Central to the story is Alice Stokes Paul (Hilary Swank,) feminist, suffragist and gifted political strategist, and her co-leader, Lucy Burns (Frances O'Connor.) The story of Paul and Burns, and the group of young, radical women who dedicate their lives to securing women the right to vote is, until now, one of the great-untold American stories of the century. I was moved by the drive of these brave women, inspired by their courage in the face of hatred and cruelty, compelled to join the ranks of these dauntless women whose influence helped give us the right to have a voice in our own government. Iron Jawed Angels is an exceptional film because it tells an important story in a fresh, engaging way. Iron Jawed Angels has all of the elements of the best human drama: loyalty, disagreements, violence, personal sacrifice, and yes, triumph. It faithfully recreates the historical events that led to the ratification of the Nineteenth Constitutional Amendment, such as the memorable 1913 Suffrage Parade that was held during President Woodrow Wilson's inauguration, the nonviolent protest at the gates of the White House, arrests on trumped up charges that led to incarceration in a horrific work camp, and the violent force-feedings in response to the imprisoned suffragist's hunger strike. Iron Jawed Angels is a film that delivers a message with well-written story lines, beautiful cinematography and intelligent, witty characterization. The acting in Iron Jawed Angels is superb. Hilary Swank gives a stunning, powerful performance as Alice Paul, the highly educated, brilliant political strategist with a Quaker background and fiery tongue. Frances O'Connor, who holds her ground next to the indomitable Alice, plays her cohort, Lucy Burns, equally well. The beautiful and articulate lawyer, Inez Milholland, played by Julia Ormond, delivers one of the most memorable scenes in the movie when she grandly leads the 1913 parade riding a regal white horse, holding herself with pride and dignity, wearing a resplendent white robe and magnificent angel wings suitably used to symbolize justice and liberty. Anjelica Huston gives a phenomenal performance as the politically conservative, high-powered Carrie Chapman Catt; Huston won the 2004 Golden Globe Award as Best Actress for a Supporting Role in a TV Movie for her role. Catt was the leader of the "old guard," who disliked Paul and Burns' radical notions and methods. Even though the newcomers were initially half-heartedly allowed to participate in the long-standing National American Women's Suffrage Association, eventually they were forced out on their own. They then formed their own political platform, the National Women's Party. One of the triumphs of the film is how Catt rises above her dislike for Paul, wields her political clout and influences the fate of the imprisoned suffragists. As allies, they work together to defeat their opponents and win the right to vote. Contrary to several writers who have criticized the mixture of modern and period music in this film, I enjoyed the musical soundtrack to this film. The majestic sound of the music and striking beats combined with lyrical vocals in Lauryn Hill's "Everything is Everything" track perfectly complemented the parade scene. Hill's lyrics uncannily replicate the film's theme; Hill herself is an outspoken advocate working for social justice in our own time; her music and reputation add credibility to the inherent message of the film. I didn't know the remarkable story behind the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment before I viewed "Iron Jawed Angels." The determined women who challenged the conventional thinking of the time inspired me. I easily identified with the complex, historical figures of the struggle behind the fight to win women's right to vote; I wanted to join their movement; I wanted to have a part in their crusade. The movie so moved me that I wanted to invite my sister and all of my women friends to share this amazing story with me, so that they, too, could experience the message behind the movie: no matter how entrenched or static a situation is, things can be changed with persistence and will; we really can make a difference. Iron Jawed Angels tells a story that has largely been forgotten, save a few sentences in our high school history books. The story occurs at the birth of a century, the dawn of a new world. And yet, women still did not have the right to vote. Unbelievably, it took women being jailed in conditions that today would be in violation of our civil rights liberties and worldwide United Nations Human Right's Treaties to overcome the unjust laws of the time. These extraordinary women devoted their entire lives to the cause of women's rights. They were beaten up, jailed, insulted, spit on, force-fed through tubes shoved down their throats and noses, and even died, in order to win the right to vote. The voting privilege is distressingly taken for granted by many American citizens today. However, it was not automatically extended to all citizens in our democratic society; it was a right that required a civil war for some and, for women, it required a brave group of iron jawed angels that put their lives on the line and made history. It should not be overlooked that in many other parts of the world it is a right that is still denied; for too many women it remains a distant hope. It is therefore incumbent upon those of us who already enjoy this right to exercise it faithfully. That will be a tribute to the incredible women who fought for the right to vote in America.

I just showed this movie in my American History class,and I can see it made a huge impact on my students. People do not always like to talk about the unpleasant things in our past, and I like to show both sides of an issue. I had them do a reflection after viewing certain scenes(the parade, the jail, and an overall feeling to name a few) I was amazed at the responses, even from the "tough" boys. They were moved and shocked as was I. True enough, there is a Hollywood spin, but it is also a powerful film. I can not say enough positive things about this film. The film depicts women and the struggle for the vote. One of the reasons I showed the movie was my history book had a one liner when buried in the end of the WWI chapter when the amendment was passed, so I figured I would address the issue.