The Woman King -The true to life story of the Dahomey Amazons

[Donovan Villarica]

The Woman King is a historical film about real-life women warriors that originated from Africa. Gina Prince-Bythewood, the hit Netflix original Old Guard director, directs this film. Black actors usually lack representation in historical films. Historical films with black actors stars either in a movie about slavery in America, or they will have to race to bend a white historical figure. The Woman King is a game-changer because it uses African history to give Black representation in historical films instead of the familiar setting. This movie gives life to a historical event in Africa. Even if African countries have a plethora of historical heroes, Many of them are yet to appear on the Silver screen.
The Kingdom of Dahomey (present-day Benin) was one of Africa’s most powerful kingdoms. They resisted surrendering in and...

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[ShadowNeko003]

This looks cool! Viola Davis is a phenomenal actress so I am excited to see a piece of African history in film.

 

[MRoberts]

As awesome as this appears, here is some historical information about the real-life kingdom of Dahomey, where the film is set: During the time of the transatlantic slave trade, they were one of Europe's biggest suppliers, selling captives from conquered neighbors to the Europeans. After the European nations, beginning with the U.K., outlawed slavery in the early to mid-19th century and started to blockade them, the kingdom ultimately fell, and Dahomey was seized by France in 1894.Dahomey expanded at the same time as the Atlantic slave trade, and the Europeans came to recognize it as a significant source of slaves. Being a highly militaristic kingdom that was always prepared for battle, it regularly engaged in raids and wars against neighboring societies, seizing children, women, and men who were then sold into the slave trade in the Atlantic in exchange for European goods like firearms, gunpowder, cloth, cowrie shells, tobacco, alcohol, and pipes. The other prisoners were sold into slavery in Dahomey, where they labored on regal estates and were frequently massacred in massive human sacrifices during the festival celebrations known as the Annual Customs of Dahomey. So this Kingdom have blood of betrayal in their hands.

 

[Ryuuta]

I really want to love this movie. But more importantly, I hope that the truth about King Ghezo and his Dahomey Amazons' involvement in the slave trade is not glossed over, distorted, or denied.

 

[LoneWolf777]

She is fit for this movie!
She usually portrays older desk job roles, but here she plays a completely different character! Viola is overweight as Amanda Waller while here she looks like she can wrestle in WWE and AEW.

 

[Natures]

This is a movie yet we have people here taking history way too seriously. This is to entertain people and not to talk about the war crimes of Dahomey. Americans and British have war crimes too and yet they are always heroes in movies.

 

[50hellsofPain]

I usually see Viola Davis playing Mom roles. So it is amazing she can pull of this warrior role.

 

[stephaniebeatrizs]

This reminds me of Brave Heart, Hope it is more historically accurate.

 

[cmoneyspinner]

Well! I liked Black Panther, but he was not real. I have done some research about real women warriors in history and came across information about the African female warriors. Just when I thought the American entertainment industry was the "same old same old", they surprise me and do something new!

 

[Blaire Courttney]

I made a research and I was fascinated that these women use to hunt elephants. So they are already though before they became warriors.