Muscular in its action sequences, sweeping in scope; a big, flexing, show-off spectacle of a movie. The Woman King is the kind of historical epic that just doesn’t get made any more. And with a superb cast predominantly composed of Black women, it’s also a film that has never been made before. Gina Prince-Bythewood may not exactly rewrite the cinematic language of the action movie – there’s plenty in her approach that will seem familiar – but she does reclaim and revitalise it.
Loosely inspired by actual historical events, the film focuses on the kingdom of Dahomey, one of the most powerful states of west Africa in the 18th and 19th centuries. Protecting the King (John Boyega) and his considerable fortune is the Agojie, an all-woman army, led by a formidable general, Nanisca (a magnificent, battle-weary Viola Davis). Her closest comrades-in-arms are Amenza (Sheila Atim), a seer with the lithe grace of a gazelle and a deadly knack with a javelin, and Izogie (Lashana Lynch), a veteran who mentors one of the newest recruits to the Agojie, Nawi (Thuso Mbedu).
What elevates the picture is that it’s not just about the ass-kicking (although the fight choreography is exemplary and the action is a technical triumph). The Woman King gives its cast the opportunity to properly flesh out their characters; it dares to tackle uncomfortable themes. It’s about overcoming trauma; it confronts and interrogates the role of some African peoples – the Dahomey included – in the enslavement of others. It’s also a thunderously cinematic good time: see it on the biggest screen you can find.
In cinemas from 4 October
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