In 'The Woman King,' Black Sisterhood Is Strength

At a time when there has been much discussion about doing away with the “strong Black woman” stereotype that has dehumanized us, Gina Prince-Bythewood’s The Woman King is a love letter to Black women that celebrates the power of sisterhood and uses our strength to uplift us.

Set in the 19th-century West African Kingdom of Dahomey, now Benin, the film focuses on a fearless group of Black women warriors, the Agojie, who have brought much stability to the kingdom in the aftermath of the horrific European and American slave trade. 

The group is helmed by General Nanisca (Viola Davis), who is first seen emerging from a valley of tall grasses clad in cowrie shells and wielding a machete.

Nanisca demands excellence, focus, and unity; no woman is ever left behind under her watch.

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Viola Davis, John Boyega, Gina Prince-Bythewood And More Break Down The Grit It Took To Bring The Film to Life: 'The Connection Was Guttural'

Based on the real life, Agojie, the fearless warrior women who acted as the king’s guard and kept Dahomey (now Benin) safe in the 19th century, Gina Prince-Bythewood’s The Woman King is a thunderous action film. It praises the strength of Black women and the power of sisterhood. The Women King had been a passion project for Viola Davis for several years. She didn’t hold back when she finally got the opportunity to transform into Nanisca, the Agojie’s general. 

In the film, Nanisca is focused on the future.

With a new king (John Boyega) on the throne, she is determined to pull Dahomey away from the slave trade. With her top soldiers, Amenza (Sheila Atim) and Izogie (Lashana Lynch), by her side, Nanisca has a new crop of recruits to train so that the Agojie may defeat their rival, tribe Oyo and be done with the slave trade for good.

However, Nawi (Thuso Mbedu), a defiant recruit, will show Nanisca that sometimes the best thing to do is turn your back on the rules.

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Viola Davis-Led Historical Epic 'The Woman King' Showcases The Pure Majesty of Black Women (TIFF Review)

As Gina Prince-Bythewood’s historical epic, The Woman King, opens, a statuesque Black woman emerges from blades of tall grass. Clad in cowrie shells and coated in oil, she looks fearlessly out into the open plane before raising her fist and calling out into the darkness — a crop of similarly dressed Black women emerging behind her. And with that sound, a film centering on Black womanhood and the power of choice begins at a rip-roaring pace. 

Set in 1823 in the robust lands of Dahomey, West Africa — now called Benin, Prince-Bythewood introduces her audience to an illustrious kingdom. King Ghezo (John Boyega) has just ascended the throne, taking over for his brother. Though Dahomey is a pleasant and peaceful place, the ongoing slave trade with the Americans and Europeans continues to be a sore point among the citizens. The terror and barbarism of enslavement and the patriarchal structure of the society, along with the nearby dominating tribe called the Oyo, rings loudly. Dahomey owes its safety to General Nanisca (an enraptures Viola Davis), who leads her all-women army, the Agojie.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.