The Woman King

This is not a superhero movie, like part two of "Black Panther”. It’s a historical drama with real women who are as heroic as superheroes. The movie is based on the true story of the Agojie, a tribe of all female warriors who protect the African kingdom of Dahomey in the 19th century. (Dahomey is in West Africa, now the country of Benin). Viola Davis is amazing in “The Woman King”, which is a blockbuster action movie like Braveheart or Gladiator. The women warriors of this West African kingdom were formidable, and the costumes are historically accurrate. And the movie accurately shows that this West African Country ( Dahomey) rose to dominance on the strength of its disciplined female army and strategic leadership—but also through the slave trade. They also produced palm oil which helped the country finance an imposing military presence. Historical accounts of these women warriors suggest they may have first been elephant hunters under the third king of Dahomey, from around 1645 to 1685, “hunting all kinds of game, including elephants, the most valuable and difficult of animals to kill.” The female warriors were renowned for ferocity with rifles, bows and swords. European slave traders recount that “ they were fearsome, excellent marksmen,…..skilled with hand-to-hand fighting, using weapons that were a lot like machetes.” This is an historical drama, filmed in the rich outback of South Africa with high quality production and violent warfare scenes. it’s in the genre of action movies but doesn’t feel quite as authentic or powerful as “Gladiator” or Braveheart. ( more like the Patriot). But it has one important difference- Viola Davis and a case of mostly of Black actors. The key elements of the film are historically accurate, but ignores the fact that this country’s involvement in the slave trade was evil. The country of Dahomey was a key player in the trafficking of West Africans between the 1680s and early 1700s, and this fueled the country’s economic success. The film barely addresses the moral complexity of this issue, and skips many historical details to make the story simple enough for a Blockbuster movie. So it’s full of melodrama, cliches and a subplot about forbidden love that weaken it’s power. Contrived dialogue distracts from the real questions that this story should raise. The movie shows “the golden age of Dahomean history”, and it is heroic that they eventually had a black woman king. But the movie grossly understates the role of slavery in her success. The slave trade fueled the economy of this country until 1852, and only ended after pressure by the British government (which had abolished slavery in its own colonies decades earlier). So viewers should not forget that the Woman King ruled over a slave-owning, totalitarian country where brutality was commonplace.

This was an extremly epic movie to see in theaters when I saw it, but let me first say this: It is extremly violent and intense for a PG-13 film. The violence in here is explicit sometimes to the point where there will be some blood in the deaths. The killings are included plenty of throat slittings, stabbing, and even some head decaption. The gore in here is seen but too a limit. But the deaths/violence are intense/hard to watch even for me. It contained plenty of strong violence parents alike should watch out for. There is some mild swearing in this movie; nothing over the top that teense can't handle, and the movie shows plenty of strong diverse role models/messages. It shows the power of teamwork and the power of sometimes you have to disobey rules for a solid reason. This movie has a strong plotline/acting, and I highly suggest families alike with older teens to see this in theaters or even rent it when it is available. There is a suggestive moment that is brief of a man naked -- everything is seen except his butt and his private. Much is to be raved of this movie, but it is an intense brutal/violent film to watch! It contains though strong epithets of role models and positive strong messages!