After going to test out the waters at Tyneside cinema recently I had high hopes for an inspiring tale of strength, courage and energy. Unsurprisingly, it was exactly what I was given, if not better, with impressive acting and intensely emotional scenes causing gasps from those sat around me. The narrative, based on true events, follows the Agojie warriors of Dahomey in 1823, an all-female group of soldiers who dedicate their lives to their leader, King Ghezo (played by John Boyega). The audience watches the life of Nawi (performed immaculately by Underground Railroad star Thuso Mbedu) as she is unfairly cast out by her father and taken in by the royal palace. Throughout the film, we are met with the horrors of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, colonialism and brutal misogyny, harsh enough to make your stomach churn.
With amazing scriptwriting each individual is given their own demons to fight, with a firm connection being created between multiple characters and audience, an aspect often neglected in film and TV. Of course that meant while watching it, inevitable sobs had to be stifled, and tears were sombrely wiped away. Taking pointers from classics such as Braveheart and Gladiator, firm favourites of mine I must admit, the heartfelt emotion gave a profound, yet familiar, uplifting feeling. A couple of times through out the movie I did question whether the huge variety of subplots were really needed, with one or two storylines, such as a certain romantic connection, ending with a predictable outcome. There simply wasn’t enough time to go into equal depth of detail for each character’s problems. However, the couple of aspects lacking in substance were soon forgotten when battle raged on screen and the powerful female leads outshone the patriarch.
Although I feel like the Star Wars style text was a low-energy start to this remarkable tale, I was blown away by the idyllic setting, spinal-tingling soundtrack and beautiful costumes; however, it was the truly incredible acting that really caught my eye. A few familiar faces made their appearance on screen including John Boyega, Hero Fiennes-Tiffin and Jordan Bolger; however, for me it was the female performances that stood out above the rest. Viola Davis’ authenticity on screen as resilient yet troubled Nanisca sets standards unbelievably high. After seeing a similar quality of acting within Tate Taylor’s The Help, it is clear we shouldn’t expect anything less than a flawless performance from Davis. Similarly, Lashana Lynch sets the screen alight with her striking and fierce portrayal of Izogie as she adds humour into the mix of an intensely phenomenal team of warrior women. Try Cary Joji Fukunaga’s No Time to Die if you are looking for a different kind of action that delivers the same female brilliance from Lynch.
The Woman King is a movie that must be seen in a cinema to truly experience the joyous shivers of Black female empowerment, taking in the vibrancy of cultural unity while leaving the screening feeling hungry for more.