Throughout the history of cinema, we have been taught that the strongest warriors are always men, and this is not strictly a macho issue on the part of the writers or directors, but historically much more attention has been paid to them while the real stories of women willing to fight hand-to-hand or with the use of weapons have gradually been forgotten.
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Perhaps one of the most popular narratives, from the legends that are shared by generations to those that have the opportunity to reach the big screen, is that of Mulan (86%), however, the story of a woman who had to dress as a man to be able to fight on behalf of her country and her family is raised. But there are hundreds of stories of groups of women willing to risk their lives for their people representing physical and mental strength.
From Greek mythology there is talk of the Amazons who serve as the main inspiration for several fantastic stories, among which Wonder Woman (92%) within pop culture. But paying main attention to the real events that we have only witnessed through history books, we count confrontations that are difficult to imagine. Only Mexico has its adelitas, those groups of women who took up arms during the revolution.
Africa, for its part, has some incredible warriors of whom little has been investigated over the years, where most of the writings about them are related by conquerors who only had a glimpse with the perspective of foreigners and not they had offered the opportunity to learn more about them. That is one of the main objectives of The female king (91%)a film directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, the same person responsible for The old guard (73%) with Charlize Theron.
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More than a historical document, the film takes place in the 1820s, in West Africa, following the female military unit that protects the kingdom of Dahomey and that in addition to having to deal with the English, with whom they do constant business, also they must stand firm in the presence of the troops of the enemy Empire of the Oyo. Many of those fighters came to the ranks of this army because their parents could not find them a husband to sell them to, however, at least in the film, these young women were free to retire if they were not willing to give their lives during battle.
In general, it is to recognize the way in which everything works together: the musical composition, in charge of Terence Blanchard Y Lebo M.which is a fitting tribute to African tribes and their folklore, the script that takes the time to include a family drama and, of course, the cast made up of Viola Davis (The Mother of Blues (100%)), Lashana Lynch (No time to die (83%)), Thuso Mbedu (The Underground Railroad (100%)), John Boyega (Star Wars: The Force Awakens (92%)), Sheila Atim (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (88%)) Y jordan bolger (Peaky Blinders (90%)).
Each of the actors manages to bring a peculiar personality to the film by exploring various nuances. But it is Viola and Thuso who demonstrate an enviable chemistry, both representing the strength, courage and even the stubbornness of a woman willing to do anything to show what she is made of. Thuso, in particular, is to be admired for Nawi’s constant leap of emotions that she shares with the audience, while the iconic Viola proves, once again, that she is made of versatility playing a leader who, while faithful to the rules, expresses the duality of a character who can be strong and fragile at the same time.
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The film about the protectors of the Dahomey kingdom manages to allocate its time appropriately without getting lost along the way, in addition to taking the liberty of explaining every detail of its instruments, which is evidence of in-depth research. For example, the usefulness of long nails at the time of the fight, the use of oils on the body that, since they do not wear armor, help them to make the enemy slip if they try to catch them, the way in which they sharpen their weapons, and even how a rope can be as deadly as a knife.
Definitely, dana stevens (The Deep Blue Good-By), he did a lot of research for the script with his advisor Leonard Wantchekon, who has dedicated part of his career to research on the way of life of the Agojie; and although it did make evident what was already known about the Dahomey kingdom such as the sale of slaves, it also offers the opportunity to explain why it was resorted to and how other trade alternatives were sought through the character of Nanisca.
the king woman, so called because at that time and in that particular place there was no term for what we know today as “queen”, it also has certain points that could detract from its quality – depending on the perspective in which it is seen -. And it is that he falls into the common Hollywood mistake of romanticizing things; The importance of the range of the characters is diminished when they include some jokes and perhaps the family drama that is involved in the story obscures the essence of the war. To a certain extent, the closeness between characters and the crossing of their stories is a tensing element within the script, but in this case the protagonist could diminish what a war implies.
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For example, in productions like Vikings (90%), there are tense points such as family dramas or romances and betrayals, but when it comes to clashes with the enemy – where, it is worth mentioning, women also play an important role in war –, the contest is portrayed with the savagery that this implies . That savagery is absent from this film, perhaps for fear of making too bloody a movie by reducing everything to a few bumps and scrapes (and a broken arm) – something that has been criticized for Die Hard (92%) by the fact that Bruce Willisafter all he faces, he ends up with only a small mark on his face.
Despite this, it is to recognize their choreographed fights and the physical work of the cast in general. The Woman King It is a historical film that adapts to the current reality and that gives an important place to the strength of a woman and the fact that she prefers to fight risking her life before becoming a wife. Furthermore, we can expect a remarkable run during awards season at least for Davis and Mbedu, not to underestimate the charisma of Lashana Lynch and his portrayal of Izogie.
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