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The Woman King
The Woman King is the story of the Agojie, an all female fighting force that existed during the 1840s in the West African kingdom of Dahomey. As an epic action film, this movie has it all — brutal training montages to show the women preparing for combat, fierce fight scenes, a love story, ambition, and revenge. It was also refreshing to see a film about warriors where women have more to do than just play favorite side-ho, smart queen, or resourceful but vulnerable lady trying to cope in a world that only respects fighters.
The Woman King shows a very different picture of the role of women in a society than I was used to seeing when I think of the 1840s. In Europe and America, women during this time period were supposed to be docile and stay in the home and their goal was marriage and children. It’s clear in the movie that women often still have this as their primary goal — we learn early on that Nawi (Thuso Mbedu) is offered to the Agojie because she refuses to marry the man her father chooses for her. However, the fact that she is presented to the Agojie shows women in the Dahomey society were offered at least one other option. Nawi is able to join Agojie and become a female warrior.
Not only that, but throughout the film you see that in the kingdom of Dahomey, women are consulted for advice and included in important conversations. There is even a title — ‘Woman King’ that can be earned. In…
