Anticipation

Find some information about the following British women.

 Elisabeth I,
 Margaret Thatcher,
 Mary Quant.

Click the links to find out. What do they have in common ?

I- Landmark years for women’s rights in the U.K.

1. What is the WSPU ? When was it created ?

2. What were the suffragettes ? At what period ?

3. What happened at the 1913 June Derby ? What does it reveal ?

4. What happened for women in 1918 ?

5. When were English women given the right to vote ?

II- Women’s rights at the Ford factory in the 1960s

As you view the clip, try to notice how the filmmaker conveys the women’s status at the meeting, and how this status develops in the scene. Use these questions to focus your viewing :

1. Watch the first 54 seconds of the clip. How do the dialogue and camerawork create a sense of Rita’s role in the meeting up until this point ?

2. What does Rita’s contribution to the meeting suggest about her beliefs and values ?

3. What does this clip suggest about the role of women in the British society in the late 1960s ?

III- The trailer

Time : In the trailer, we are told the film is ’based on true events’ In what different ways is the period setting of the film established ?

Place : Dagenham is an area of East London. In what ways is this location presented in the trailer ? Give three shots (= plans) as examples.

How are contrasts established between Dagenham and central London ? See if you can spot these shots. What do you think is the intended effect of these juxtapositions ?

Characters : Several characters are introduced in the trailer. Consider what you think will be the key roles in the film : can you identify any stereotypes ?

What could you say about the differences between characters in terms of gender, age, occupation and class ?

How would you describe the main character ? Explore the effects of her costume, make-up, dialogue and physical presence in helping the audience identify with her in the trailer.