The Woman King review: Viola Davis at her best as a legendary African warrior

3/5

Story: Set in the 1820s in the West African Kingdom of Dahomey, modern-day Benin, the film narrates the story of the legendary all-female warrior unit called the Agojie. They face a threat from the Oyo Empire as slave trading continues to threaten the safety of civilians.

Review: It is imperative to point out that Dahomey was not the righteous liberators of Africans from slave trading as it is depicted in the film. In fact, the kingdom thrived under the wealth they obtained from European and other nations through trading prisoners of war. While it is discussed in the film that King Ghezo (John Boyega) does consider alternatives to boost the economy of his kingdom, the film’s narrative paints a picture that Ghezo and the Agojie fought to end slave trading — which is historically inaccurate. Ironically, it was the British who banned slave trading in the 1840s which the film fails to clarify. It almost absolves Dahomey and the Agojie from being on the wrong side of history. But the film opens the door for its audience an opportunity to read up on the history of West Africa; but by referring to other sources.

As a work of fiction, loosely based on true events, The Woman King is an engaging production. There are not many films in mainstream Hollywood that have explored African kingdoms in great earnest. Director Gina Prince-Bythewood and her team deserve credit for the attention to detail they have given to bring a 19th-century African kingdom to life. It’s just a shame that the story was deprived of the same level of care and nuance. The opportunity to create a compelling film highlighting the complexities and politics of Dahomey appears to have been wasted in a film rife with cliched tropes. These tropes themselves are not poorly re-enacted on screen, but they could have been so much more. Viola Davis’s performance, however, significantly elevates the film, as do the well-choreographed fight scenes. Despite its fairly engaging story, the subplot about a tryst between one of the main characters Nawi (Thuso Mbedu) and a Brazilian man is an unnecessary addition to the narrative.

Themes of trauma, women empowerment, and redemption are perfectly ingrained in the narrative. In fact, the exploration of these themes is where the film truly shines. These themes are explored through each of the primary characters. The dynamic and camaraderie amongst the Agojie are vital to the story. The film also portrays the Agojie as the most revered unit of the King’s Guard — one that is popular amongst the locals. Obviously, the historical veracity of this leaves a lot of room for debate, but it does make for good storytelling. Of course, an argument could be made that Hollywood has often taken liberties when recreating war stories from history. But for a story from the relatively recent past, just over 200 years ago, it shouldn’t have strayed too far from actual events.

Verdict: The Woman King, despite its historical inaccuracies, is an engaging film elevated by the brilliance of Viola Davis. The film’s immense potential as a mainstream Hollywood production to open a discourse on the slave trade and the atrocities suffered by Africans has been significantly impacted by the creative choices of the writers and filmmakers.

 The Woman King is available on BookMyShow Stream.