Made in Dagenham

In 1968, multinational car manufacturer Ford (yes, the makers of those Falcons we see lining Australian suburban streets) employed 25,000 workers at the 475 acre Dagenham assembly plant in the east of London. Of the large number of employees – most of whom travelled to the vast factory by bicycle – only 187 were women, working as machinists piecing together vinyl offcuts to cover the seats and interiors of Ford’s motor vehicles. Though they have may been small in number, and trapped in a patriarchal system in which females were treated as second class citizens, each and every one of the women workers of Dagenham would bring the company to account for their practices in 1968, in a landmark labour relations battle. Forever remembered as the David vs Goliath dispute that led the world into a new era of industrial equality, the plight of the 187 women changed history, leaving an enduring legacy still felt to this day. Made In Dagenham is their story.

When a new grading system resulted in the jobs of women machinists being classed as unskilled – and paid accordingly, the workers involved sought industrial action as their only avenue of recourse. Voting to proceed on May 28, 1968, the close-knit group of friends deferred to the leadership of their boss Albert (Bob Hoskins, Vanity Fair) and union crone Monty (Kenneth Cranham, Valkyrie), as well as the secondary support of shop steward Connie (Geraldine James, Sherlock Holmes), with outspoken housewife Rita O’Grady (Sally Hawkins, Cassandra’s Dream) unwittingly pulled into the fold. A hit with her straight talking ways almost immediately, Rita assumed control of the coordination of their increasingly unsuccessful plight. Championing their cause at the highest levels (including Secretary of State Barbara Castle, played by The Young Victoria‘s Miranda Richardson), she garnered attention from those who mattered, adding weight behind their fight for equal rights.

Of course, strikes were far from unusual in Britain at the time, with an estimated five million working days lost in the two years leading up to the Dagenham events. What made this battle special was the perceived audacity of women to question their place in the workforce, with laws at the time allowing employers to pay females less simply because they could. Indeed, many of the men surrounding the courageous crusaders withheld their backing, from Connie’s traumatised husband (Roger Lloyd-Pack, Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire) to Rita’s embarrassed partner Eddie (Daniel Mays, The Red Riding Trilogy). Even some of the more fickle amongst them – including wannabe model Sandra (Jaime Winstone, daughter of Ray and star of Donkey Punch) – wavered under the promise of instant gratification, with Rita’s tenacity in the face of blatant disregard the one factor able to unite the disparate crowd.

A class warfare drama that invokes the spirit of Norma Rae complete with a spirited performance from a Sally – Hawkins, not Field (including an award-worthy portrayal, with Field earning the first of her two best actress Oscars for her work, and Hawkins likely to follow with a nomination at least in a turn equal in effort to that in Happy-Go-Lucky), Made In Dagenham demonstrates the human side behind levelling the playing field between men and women, at a time when such a concept was considered preposterous. With upper class support obtained through Rosamund Pike’s (An Education) stay-at-home mother (and tertiary educated wife of a Ford head honco, grossly under-appreciated at home), and the evil American corporation personified by Richard Schiff’s (The Reluctant Infidel) imported corporate big wig, the feature sets up a basic underdog story akin to previous great British efforts Calendar Girls, The Full Monty and Brassed Off.

Indeed, like films that share its pedigree (with director Nigel Cole also helming the above-mentioned Calendar Girls), where Made In Dagenham succeeds is in terms of humour and humanity, with the former essential in the re-telling of historical events, and the latter amply accounted for in the monumental struggle of the characters’ real life counterparts. Yes, it all seems very familiar, however what elevates Cole’s interpretation of first time writer Bill Ivory’s script is genuine levity in the face of blatant exploitation, and a can-do attitude that shines through from start to finish. With no trace of the Ken Loach (the filmmaker behind such English social commentaries Looking For Eric and My Name Is Joe) approach, Made In Dagenham doesn’t reinvent the genre, but it does re-purpose it with rousing, heart-warming skill and style. Engaging and vibrant, enthralling and spirited, the resulting cheerful political escapade makes for crowd-pleasing viewing, with box office receipts sure to match.

Made In Dagenham opens around Australia from October 28, 2010.

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Tags: British, comedy, drama, films, Ford, Made In Dagenham, movies, politics, Sally Hawkins