After watching The Woman King, I only asked myself a question. I wondered why I haven’t watched the movie since its release. Today, I was scrolling through Netflix and found a movie that has gotten so much hype. I only decided to give it a try but I got stuck watching the movie.
The Woman King is a 2022 American historical adventure movie that portrays the lives of the Dahomeys, the Oyo Empire and the Agojie in the 17th to 19th centuries.
Plot
After General Nanisca, the leader of all female warriors liberates some women abducted by slavers from the Oyo Empire, King Ghezo got annoyed and prepared for war with the Oyo people.
Gradually, Nanisca began to train new set of women to join the Agojie, (the military regiment of Dahomey kingdom), Nanisca met Nawi, a lady who was given to the King as a gift by her father but decides to be an Agojie because she doesn’t want men in her life.
Along the line, Nawi encounters Malik and they both became friends. One night when she sneaks out with Malik, she learned that the Oyo’s are planning to attack and she ran to General Nanisca to inform her but instead, they both talked about something else. Nanisca revealed how she got raped many years ago and had a baby and gave her a mark on her left hand. Surprisingly, that baby was Nawi and they both reunited as mother and daughter.
After a successful attack on the Oyo Empire, Nanisca kills Oba and she was crowned the “Woman King” despite disobeying the King’s order.
I’ve always been interested in knowing what must have transpired between the Oyo Empire and the Dahomey and after watching the movie, this helped to shed more light on the whole issue. This tells us how important slave trade used to be. It was like the main trade of the Oyo Empire and that’s why they go to smaller villages to wage war against them, abduct their citizens and use them as slaves. What a movie that tells history!
Another thing that makes the movie interesting was the twist of the story. I learned that Agojie’s are not meant to love a man nor have a child but what about Generak Nanisca? Who will ever know that she has given birth to a child? No one! That’s why sometimes, the rule affects those who make the law or the leaders.
A scene? I’ll never forget the scene that made me cry. I cried when Igozie died. Sometimes, I feel she shouldn’t have tried to save Nawi. She only went back to save Nawi when she got caught and instead, Igozie herself was shot. Maybe if she didn’t try to help, she must have made it but General Nanisca will feel a forever pain.
https://youtu.be/9DcjTIWbpxs?si=q2FdB2X9NFq1SzTj
For the best actor who has a wonderful performance, I’ll still give it all to Lashana Lynch who played the role of Igozie. I know every other person tried their best including Viola Davis who played the role of General Nanisca. Lashana Lynch really looked like an Agojie. She was a perfect example.
The way she walked, talked and did every other thing felt like a real warrior. Was she ever a warrior or how long has she been training for it? It was so real and if I can give an award, she deserves the best actor in the movie.
How come it was a movie? The fights and wars looked very real. For some moment, I forgot that I was watching a movie. All I had in my head was the Oyo Empire and Dahomey fighting. It was a great watch time.
Because of the realness of this movie, it will have 9.5/10. I’m happy I finally watched it. It’s better than never.