MovieChat Forums > Prime Suspect (1992) Discussion > Women's struggles

Women's struggles

posted 17 years ago by patri-8
13 replies | jump to latest

I recently rewatched this and I remembered a lot of it especially the whole women's struggle that I could relate to so well in the 90's, being a career woman myself. Dealing with a job, dealing with patriarchal, patronising, men who think nothing of putting you down, cos they know no better. "It was always done like that", the boy's clubs etc. And then dealing with home, husband, demands etc. But what is really amazing about this series is the British production's authenticity, the brilliant sets/settings, the brilliant acting, the excellent casting, the variety and depth of characters, the genuine-looking "people" without too much pancake and plastic surgery, especially the investigators, and the attention to detail. They are currently running repeats here in South Africa, with the first two parts to be viewed all in one sitting, and I sat to the end, rather a marathon from 20:00 to 23:20, so I would have preferred it if they had split this rerun into its original 2 parts and left us in suspense in the middle, with something to look forward to, i.e the next show, to see the outcome, and enjoy the sweet suspense....and of course Helen Mirren, so brilliant at her craft.

[–] Fpi 17 years ago

I just saw it, and it's definitely a welcome reminder of what things used to be like no more than 15 years ago. Not to mention that the characters must be some of the most realistic I've seen in any film/series. In sum, amazing stuff.

[–] planetmutty 15 years ago

I admit I got heartily p!ssed off by the attitudes of the male detectives in the show, who I think were really cowardly in ganging up on her at every opportunity. Tennison was really strong and I admired her.

BTW, did Bill Otley ever do any actual detecting??? All he ever seemed to do was stand around with a sour look on his face and making snide remarks about Tennison behind her back. He was supposed to be a Homicide detective, after all. I'f he'd contributed a little more to the police effort they may have 'cracked the case' a little earlier...

When I said I wanted to be a comedian, they all laughed at me. Well, they're not laughing now!

[–] Noir-It-All 15 years ago

PS 1 was about Tennison finding her own power. The day came when she took him off the case and brought in a male colleague and supporter from her past. That scene took place in the "car park".

"Two more swords and I'll be Queen of the Monkey People." Roseanne

[–] Thorsten-Krings 14 years ago

I just recently watched this. I'm 41 now so I was around in the early nineties. While I know that things certainly weren't easy for women, I just wonder if it was really as bad as that? Were men at the time really complete dinosaurs? The way they treat her is rude and appalling.

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] Thorsten-Krings 14 years ago

I am a man and I actually work in human resources. My experience is just that the attitude is there, often hidden behind seemingly rational arguments but that the glass ceiling is imposed in a more subtle way. I was shocked by the extreme rudeness with which Jane was treated.

[–] loki242 14 years ago

Yeah things are so much better now, the slightest joke warrants a lawsuit, private e-mails are intercepted by a third party that
"takes offense" to words. Give me a break. Men and women are not equal if this is a newsflash you are the problem.

I would like to go back in time and kill the idiot who created the term "reimagining."

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] gobears87 14 years ago

I took it that sexism would be particularly bad in a police department. Probably also in any other "macho" occupation such as firefighting, construction, heavy industry, etc.

I started my professional career in the early 90's, and my first three bosses were all women. I thought nothing of it, nor did I detect any obvious or rank sexism at the office.

In the early 2000's, we got a new CEO, who was a nasty male chauvinist. The lack of advancement or hiring of female executives was very obvious, although the work climate for the rank and file was largely unaffected.

I guess my point is that although the treatment of Tennison in PS1 seemed a little extreme, I made allowances given the particular type of workplace. The rest of the production dripped with authenticity, so I'm willing to accept that the sexism was realistic for the time and place.

[–] grendelkhan 9 years ago

I was in the military about the time the first series came out and the environment was very much what you see in the show. I'm a male; but have always respected competent and capable women in similar or superior positions. My mother ran her own agency, at one point and most of my aunts were working women. All that mattered was whether they knew their job or not. Therefore, I respected good female officers and enlisted personnel as much as the male ones. However, I saw that a lot of my peers did not share this attitude. I was a naval officer and it was particularly bad there, especially since women were prohibited from serving onboard most classes of ships (at that time; but it was changing by the time I left). I heard some of the senior officers, who I greatly respected, say some things that really lowered their stature, in my eyes. The Tailhook Scandal, post Gulf War 1, really drove it home, though the Navy didn't seem to learn a lesson.

I read a memoir by an Army officer who was part of the first class of female cadets, at West Point. She related some of the incidents they faced, including profane letters speared to their pillow with a saber. She spoke of patronizing behavior from above, when a representative from a cosmetics company was brought in to speak to the graduating women, because of concerns from political corners about the femininity of the female cadets. To their credit, the women all banded together in protest and the academy admitted their mistake and didn't repeat it.

Fortunately, Ah keep mah feathers numbered for just such an emergency!

[–] eileen-guthrie555 8 years ago

I'm glad you had strong female role models in your life. My oldest cousin went to West Point and spoke about how the female cadets were treated pretty poorly by the male student, especially the older ones who were getting ready to graduate. They did some pretty disgusting things to the female cadets, really gross stuff (won't say what they did, being it's a macho environment and their testosterone was flowing very high and you can use your imagination).

My mom had trouble in her job, she was responsible for training her bosses (she worked for a publisher of law books) most of the man left because the pay wasn't great, so the male turnover was very high. She put her application to be the assistant editor and was turned down, writing "she wasn't qualified for the job" when she's been for 13 years training her bosses. She filed a lawsuit and won her case. She was given the job and a huge raise and I was very proud of her for sticking up for herself in a macho office atmosphere. She also was allowed to pick and chose those who worked under her and more females were added to the department, when previously, she was the only female in the department and was treated as a secretary and file clerk when she had a master degree in English.

So, when I was watching PS, I was reminded by the crap she had to take in an office atmosphere. Same stupid jokes, the same mocking, she was smart and kept her head high and ignored their ignorance and arrogance.

[–] loki242 14 years ago

I never hear "I need a female associate..." while at the super store. Oh yeah, men and women are NOT equal.

I would like to go back in time and kill the idiot who created the term "reimagining."

[–] 14 years ago

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