The Iron Lady

Lat night I watched the film for which Meryl Streep won the Oscar for best actress this year, The Iron Lady. It centers on a aging Margaret Thatcher, former Prime Minister of Britain, as she descends into old age and flashes back to her time as Prime Minister.

The film is very beautiful, and was rightfully also awarded an Oscar for best makeup, as Meryl Streep plays Margaret from middle to old age. 

It's an interesting exploration of the life of a female leader. Margaret makes her way up by refusing to compromise, which is both her strength and her weakness. At times, her political ambitions cause discord within her family. But right or wrong, Margaret is an admirable and inspiring woman. I loved the exploration of gender roles. Did Margaret truly neglect her family, or did her family resent her circumvention of traditional gender roles? Is the fact that she was a woman in a man's world force her to be uncompromising in order to survive? Also, why has Britain had a female prime minister, but America has had no female president?