The Woman King is a well-directed, strongly acted, rousing epic

The mighty West African kingdom of Dahomey, located in present-day Benin from the 17th to the 19th century, had, in addition to a regular army, a fighting force that consisted entirely of women. These female soldiers, the Agojie, were known for their bravery and ruthlessness.

The action movie The Woman King does not pretend to tell the true story of the Agojie, but does delve into the history of the black female warriors, who previously inspired the fictional Dora Milaje, the elite corps of women from the superhero film Black Panther.

Black Panther paved the way in another respect too The Woman King. Although the films have nothing to do with each other, the latter could only get off the ground after the former became a success. An action film with only black actors was considered unlucrative in Hollywood for a long time. Let alone a movie full of female black fighters.

After seven years of perseverance – with actress Viola Davis as one of the great champions of the project – The Woman King got there anyway. The $50 million budget is not childish. A fine investment probably, because the film is sure to be a success: it is a well-directed, strongly acted, rousing epic in which major battles are alternated with romance, personal drama and scheming at court. Director Gina Prince-Bythewood was inspired by spectacular films such as brave heart and gladiatorand that’s easy to see.

Viola Davies plays Nanisca, the leader of the Agojie in 1823, with great fervor and conviction. She tries to convince her king (John Boyega) to take on a rival kingdom. She has personal motives for this, but they remain hidden for a long time. One of the young recruits of the Agojie, the stubborn Nawi (Thuso Mbedu) has something to do with it.

Screenwriter Dana Stevens based the story on historical facts, but ran into dark pages that lend themselves less well to an uplifting action spectacle. That Dahomey owed much of his wealth to trading slaves stolen from surrounding areas is in The Woman King not concealed, but a bit hidden away. Heroine Nanisca no longer wants to profit from the slave trade, but sees a future in palm oil.

Despite that tense relationship with history and a somewhat uneasy romance between Nawi and a slave trader, The Woman King original and often compelling. In any case, the film is not lacking in persuasiveness: as soon as the Agojie sing their battle song, you wish them every victory.