Directed By Gina Prince-Bythewood

Starring – Viola Davis, John Boyega, Shaina West

The Plot – The remarkable story of the Agojie, the all-female unit of warriors who protected the African Kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s with skills and a fierceness unlike anything the world has ever seen. Inspired by true events, the story follows the emotionally epic journey of General Nanisca (Davis) as she trains the next generation of recruits and readies them for battle against an enemy determined to destroy their way of life. Some things are worth fighting for.

Rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence, some disturbing material, thematic content, brief adult language and partial nudity.

THE WOMAN KING – Official Trailer (HD) – YouTube

POSITIVES

In my opinion, the most compelling fictional narratives stem from instances of truth inserted to the movie’s storytelling devices, leading towards a best-of-both-worlds approach that the film and its historical significance can benefit effectively from. In this respect, “The Woman King” and specifically Prince-Bythewood break convention with a cultural and cinematic landmark of an experience that not only feels like an homage to 50’s and 60’s action epics of their respective times, but also an opportunity to break the unfortunate social stigma that still resonates in films depicting black history. It begins with the establishment of the setting itself, with the entirety of the first act fleshing out this beautiful African kingdom and the fiercely feminine warriors who constantly fight for its cause, while conveying the importance and acclaim that they’re continuously depicted as in the eyes of their people. The direction here from Gina capably takes its time and wonderfully builds the anticipation and suspense between this euphoric paradise, fleshing out a growing unnerve in outside prejudice that dominates the fears and restlessness of its people, all the while unraveling several blockbuster pay-offs with some of the most immersive and bold action set pieces that I have seen this year. The cinematography inside of these clutches of conflicts here from Polly Morgan articulately conveys the velocity and urgency of the crisp fight choreography, held together by movements of the lens that never lack detection despite its approach to get down and dirty in the trenches of where it all is materializing. From there, the blanketing sound design invokes an unforgiving heft that audibly echoes that of the many devastating blows unloading on screen, and when held in correspondence to that of Terrence Blanchard’s rhythmic impulses of tribal hymns in musical score, conveys an ambiance in force that nearly feels prophetic in the advantages of its legions that the Agojie often exploit. From there, the performances are remarkable from just about everyone, but especially from Davis and West, whose meaning to each other fleshes out various dimensions in their dynamic the longer the film persists. Davis completely loses herself in both the accent and the physicality of her portrayal, carving out yet another committed dimension to her capabilities that not only further cements her as one of the very best actors working today, but also a talent that transcends genres. Likewise, West’s own character transformation cements the perfect counterpunch to Davis’s versatility, serving as the virtual conscience of the film’s dual narrative, but in ways that give her moments of intense emotion to unload on wherever the film may take her. Finally, and most importantly to me, the film clocks in at an ambitious 130 minutes, but it’s never one that overstays its welcome, instead riding the benefits of the script’s never-ending depth that constantly maintains your attention throughout. In sociological terms, that points towards a European slave trade that at the time obscured the unity of various neighboring villages, but on a personal one, lends itself to a fruitful dissection in backstory between two of its protagonists that redefines them in ways that further enhance the overhanging stakes that at least initially felt easily resolved. Through meaningful, natural exposition in dialogue, we learn a lot about the history of the kingdom, but also the motivations of its characters, which transcribes more of an introspective dissection into black and especially female protagonists than a majority of films even in 2022 simply can’t touch.

NEGATIVES

While the script unloads on various opportunities to construct a character study for nearly every member of its primary ensemble, the antagonists are left in a cloud of ambiguity that not only underwhelms them in one-dimensional depth, but also directly undercuts the magnitude of the conflict that ties the sides together. This is obviously a film that is first and foremost about the Agojie tribes, but I sternly feel the script could’ve taken a few more scenes to capably flesh out their presence in ways that could’ve eluded them feeling like types that we’ve seen in every one of these movies. I’ve always believed that a great protagonist requires a great antagonist, and because so much of the latter rubs a couple of characters together in ways that could’ve easily been shaped as one singular person, it conveys the undercooked stature of its sentiment, leaving us with power hungry men who are easy to hate, but never the kind that feel like an inescapable cancer to Dahomey’s operations. Speaking of undercooked, I feel that this is a film that definitely could’ve benefited from a coveted R-rating, even if the advantages of an exceptional production helped to inspire imagination in a mostly bloodless canvas that attempts to fill in the blanks. Not everything has to be a virtual splatter-fest, but instances combining velocity with highly impactful tools of devastation certainly deserve believability to the capture, especially when the framing of angles is so tightly claustrophobic as that of the aforementioned cinematography from Morgan.

OVERALL
“The Woman King” mercilessly takes its place on the throne of cinematic royalty with a heart-pounding war epic that reigns over its kingdom with undeterred courage and character. With interpersonal performances and riveting action set pieces on-screen, but also a deconstruction of cinematic normalcies off-screen, Prince-Bythewood delivers the single best direction of her long and storied career, and one that teaches us to never underestimate the power of a woman. Long live the king.

My Grade: 8/10 or B+