A film fifty years in the making, MISBEHAVIOUR is a pageant against the patriarchy, a contesting of archaic patriarchal practise of parading women as chattel, presenting a pivotal point in the feminist movement, where the male gaze is put out to graze.
In 1970, the Miss World competition took place in London, hosted by US comedy legend, Bob Hope. At the time, Miss World was the most-watched TV show on the planet with over 100 million viewers. Really!
Claiming that beauty competitions demeaned women, a newly formed chapter of the Women’s Liberation Movement plotted to infiltrate and disrupt the event, by invading the stage and disrupting the live broadcast of the competition.
The feminists aren’t the only activists with their sights set on the pulchritudinous pageant. Anti-apartheid campaigners argue that by allowing South Africa to enter only white contestants, Miss World is endorsing a racist regime. Fearing a boycott, organisers decide that this year they will include one white and one black contestant from South Africa.
Miss Africa South, Pearl Jansen, the hastily selected black South African, is overwhelmed by the occasion and the serene Jennifer Hosten the first ever Miss Grenada, recognises Pearl’s anxiety and goes to her rescue. She comments that participating in this hugely popular international event is a huge moment for them both, with each of them using the system to bring about change in gender and race relations.
History records that both women achieve prominence, with Jennifer taking the title, and within this one, crowning event, a global audience had witnessed the patriarchy kicked in the pants and the Western ideal of beauty turned on its head.
MISBEHAVIOUR is a beauty, a film of substance and grace, intelligent, informative and entertaining. It features a terrific cast led by Keira Knightley as Sally Alexander, the history academic who would implement historical change, Gugu Mbatha-Raw as the triumphant Miss World, Jennifer Hosten, Jessie Buckley as Jo Robinson, anarchic artist, a graffiti feminist, a spray painting sloganeering pioneer against sexism, and Loreece Harrison as Pearl Jansen, the first Black woman to represent South Africa in the contest.
A finely structured Screenplay by Rebecca Frayn and Gaby Chiappe with adept, adroit and adventurous direction by Philippa Lowthorpe, MISBEHAVIOUR is up there with Hidden Figures.