Review | Viola Davis shines in ‘The Woman King,' a film struggling with its complex history

Viola Davis stars as the leader of the Agojie in an entertaining story based on true events that cannot fully come to terms with its subject's contribution to the slave trade. Photo collage by DANIEL PEARSON, staff photographer

As the lights dim and phones are silenced, dense brush and a village undisturbed fill the screen. In the silence of the night, Viola Davis rises from her hiding spot. She is clad in brown leather, machete in hand, and though her fellow Agojie rise beside her, there is no mistaking that Davis is in command. Her presence is palpable. This is her film. 

Released on Sept. 16, Gina Prince-Bythewood’s “The Woman King” is an epic tale of the Agojie, a group of female warriors led by their general, Nanisca (Davis), as they protect the West African kingdom of Dahomey from Oyo slavers. 

The film garnered $19 million in box office sales during its opening weekend and rightfully so. With entertaining and unflinching fight scenes, “The Woman King” does just what it set out to do. It is a battle story, bringing attention to a powerful group of black women that have been unjustly overlooked by history. 

While Dana Stevens’ script and Prince-Bythewood’s direction portray the intense political conflict and communal struggles deftly, special tribute should be paid to the cast that brings their characters to life with an impressive amount of commitment. 

To no surprise, Davis shines in her role. What could have easily been a simple mentor archetype role is instead written as a complex and layered general who must deal with the trauma brought on by a past sexual assault and has hopes for her kingdom’s future. 

Davis cannot play a flat character, nor is her stardom meant to be relegated to a supporting role, and the makers of this film were entirely aware of this. The film was even marketed with her at the center of it, which might be seen as a strange strategy considering Davis may not be the “main character,” at least not from a storytelling standpoint. 

Instead, Nawi (Thuso Mbedu) is the classic main character, playing a young girl given to the king after she fails to marry and is set on a journey to become a great Agojie warrior. Mbedu does a good job portraying the determination and, at times, the naivete that colors this character. A scene where she cries over a fallen friend demonstrates her emotional range. But though her star is lit, it cannot shine as bright as Davis doing what Davis does best. 

A special credit can be given to John Boyega, whose subdued portrayal of King Ghezo could enrapture an audience. Davis’ fellow Agojie, most notably Sheila Atim and Lashana Lynch, are entertaining and offer a certain lightness in a film that could be entirely dark without them. 

After leaving the theater, I found myself impressed with the performances and just as entertained as any moviegoer might hope to be when leaving an action-packed film.

But after speaking with a friend who had heard chatter of historical inaccuracies, I decided to research for myself and see just how true this “based on true events” film was. 

Online discourse and criticism have erupted in the wake of the film's release with #BoycottWomanKing making its rounds on social media. The criticism stems from the fact that the Dahomey contributed heavily to the slave trade, selling slaves to the Oyo who then sold them to Europeans. 

Davis and Prince-Bythewood have defended their film, noting that in order to tell the story, there was no way to maintain complete historical accuracy. 

“We entered the story where the kingdom was in flux, at a crossroads," Davis said in an interview with Variety. "They were looking to find some way to keep their civilization and kingdom alive. It wasn’t until the late 1800s that they were decimated. Most of the story is fictionalized. It has to be.”

What we see here is the difficult juxtaposition of trying to tell an overlooked story while battling with conflicting history. The film at times does address these issues, showing that King Ghezo was willing to sell slaves and that Nanisca hoped to end the slave trade cycle by transitioning to the sale of palm oil. The film addresses this history quietly because it does not want the heroism of its main characters to wear off. 

I don’t find a problem with the film here. “The Woman King” does what all epic battle movies do, it tells a story and gives us characters we can root for. It should not be considered lesser, especially considering the portrayal of strong Black women that Hollywood movies have so often lacked. And we should remember it is just that — a movie. Viewers should not take the film as a history lesson, nor should they take “white savior” films like “The Help” or “Green Book” as one.

Can a film ever be historically accurate enough while also entertaining enough to be a box office hit? Such a feat has yet to be achieved. As for “The Woman King,” it is a film worth seeing and worth enjoying. Though it may seem trying, it is also a film worth reading about once seen, so a viewer can fully grasp the historical aspects. The title “based on true events” is not a good fit, but there is no denying that the title of “Woman King” fits Davis perfectly.