Being a soldier in any army no doubt requires some serious bravery. Surviving to become a middle aged/older soldier means that someone’s not only brave, but skilled and more than a little lucky. In The Woman King, Nanisca (Viola Davis) leads the Agojie, African kingdom Dahomey’s all female branch of their army. She’s survived to middle age in a way few warriors do, though not without some serious physical and mental scars.
The Woman King takes place in 1823, following the Agojie as they help Dahomey battle for independence against the Oyo Empire. Nanisca, trains the new recruits extensively to fight the enemies they will face one day. Something about one of the newest recruits, Nawi (Thuso Mbedu), triggers Nanisca’s past trauma, pushing her to overcome her issues while leading the Agojie into battle against their toughest foe yet.
It’s about time we get a film like The Woman King, and I can only hope it leads to more like it. Viola Davis puts on a performance that will knock you to your knees. Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, Thuso Mbedu, John Boyega also shine bright in their performances. While this isn’t the most action-packed film in the general sense, the quality of the action is so powerful (and quality of the acting is so good) that the downtime is always worth it. I would have loved to see more battles where the Agojie are serving out justice, but that’s not the entire point of The Woman King. The film yearns to tell an actual story, based on the real life culture of the Dahomey kingdom.
This film will incite goosebumps with its compelling imagery, especially in one scene after the opening fight. We see the Agojie soldiers marching through the street back home after they just battled the Oyo to free a large group of their people who were taken to be sold. All the civilians bow their heads to them, and the Agojie look incredibly powerful. This scene captures their commanding presence and runs it up the flagpole for all to see.
According to an article on Smithsonianmag.com, the film follows the general truth of what happened in Dahomey at that time, with some story-friendly tweaks. The one thing writers Maria Bello and Dana Stevens did not have to tweak at all was the reputation and fierceness of the Agojie. They were real and very feared.
I highly recommend The Woman King. There’s few one-liners or rocket launchers to be had in this film; instead, we get a powerful story with visceral action and a highlight on a history and culture which is oft-overlooked by Western filmmakers.
Action Rating: 3.5 Agojie Warriors, out of 5
Disclaimer: Just because I am the Action Flick Chick and love action movies does not mean I condone real life violence in any way. Everyone has their own shit to deal with, be nice to each other.
