‘The Woman King’ Moved Me in Unexpected Ways
I didn’t expect to feel so much.
I am a big fan of Viola Davis, so when I heard that she was both producing and starring in this new film, The Woman King, I knew this was a must-watch. The Woman King follows the story of General Nanisca (Viola Davis), who leads a group of elite all-female warriors who protect the African kingdom of Dahomey.
From the marketing of this film and the premise, I was prepared for some incredible action sequences, themes of female empowerment, and a whole lot of badassery. I expected to be entertained, celebrate the female and Black women-led cast, and leave the theater with my adrenaline pumping from a slew of fight sequences.
I didn’t expect to experience the depth of emotions that I did when I watched The Woman King. It was a total surprise.
Unlike some movie-goers who are able to get easily absorbed into the emotions of a story, I am not a frequent crier in films. Thus, I was utterly floored at this film’s ability to move me so deeply, the rare film that stirred so much emotion within me. As I experienced this film in a nearly empty movie theater (shoutout to the one other person in the very back row), I am grateful for the intimate and captivating experience that The Woman King ushered in for me. As I’ve had time to reflect, here are some of my hypotheses on why this film sucked me into its story in such unexpected ways.
Note: spoilers for The Woman King ahead.
The Strength of Leading Performances
I’ll start by giving a massive amount of credit to Viola Davis and Thuso Mbedu for being the source of so much depth and meaning. Their performances were vital to selling this epic story. They made it deeply personal and intimate instead of vast and epic.
Their highly nuanced and complex performances are the lynchpin to making this film feel like a universal story of mothers and daughters, the sacrifices that women make, the dichotomy of innocent purity, and the wisdom that can only come from resilience. Both actresses are able to convey such nuances, holding often opposing emotions in balance together in much of the same ways we as humans in the audience experience these emotions as well.
Without these performances from Viola Davis and Thuso Mbedu, this story would not reach the hearts of audiences the way that it does.
The unfolding of the mother-daughter relationship between Nanisca and Nawi over the course of the film serves as one of the key storylines, and it tugged on my heartstrings. My own mother is a precious part of my life, so it was beautiful to see the way that this film is such a celebration of the enduring love mothers have for their children.
Midway through the film, it is heavily implied that Nawi, one of the many Agojie warriors-in-training, is, in fact, that long-lost child that Nanisca was forced to abandon after escaping captivity. Viola Davis does an incredible job conveying the longing and ache Nanisca feels for her child while also needing to uphold her authority and stature as general of the Agojie military unit.
One of the character-defining moments for Nanisca is when she is told by her king that she must not go and save the captured Agojie, including Nawi. Despite the severe consequences of disobeying her king, she chooses to pursue and rescue her beloved child, along with the rest of the captured Agojie women. No matter the cost, sacrifices, or dangers, Nanisca pursues her daughter relentlessly with unwavering love and dedication.
The Depth of Tough, Refining Love
Throughout the film, we see Nanisca demonstrate a refining love for her younger Agojie warriors-in-training. She is tough and firm, instilling immense discipline and resilience in her women. But it is not without a great deal of love, passion, and vision for what she knows her warriors-in-training need. She foresees the tough situations her warriors-in-training will soon face. Nanisca understands that the fierceness in her preparation for them now is for their survival and for the preservation of this community’s values.
Instead of seeming exacting, cold, and tyrannical, Viola Davis conveys this refining love with equal amounts of tough strength and warm compassion. This type of love is sometimes harder or more difficult to accept in the moment, but I would argue that it is a far deeper and more meaningful form of love. Nanisca isn’t concerned with coddling her warriors-in-training with a love that provides only a thin veil of comfort for them. She is willing to dole out this refining love to push, challenge, and shape them into true warriors because she cares for them deeply.
The Magnificence of Female Community
It is a rarity to see female community like we do in The Woman King. We may have seen small pockets of this level of female bonding through strong female friendships or familial relationships throughout cinema. But the level of dedication, advocacy, and commitment that the Agojie women have for each other was a triumph.
Throughout the film, we see the relationships between the core female characters of this movie support one another in extraordinary ways. Izogie (Lashana Lynch) guides Nawi in her commitment to the Agojie, Nawi goes back to help her friend from the thorn bushes in the final test, Amenza (Sheila Atim) creates a safe space for Nanisca to share her past trauma, and many more.
Another version of this film would have the Nanisca-Nawi relationship front and center, with the rest of the Agojie women as the backdrop to the primary story. But I love the way The Woman King chooses to give screen time to so many of the other strong female relationships that make up this community. This truly depicts the essence of female community, a collection of relationships and values shared by a group of people. I loved seeing the way these women continually fight for each other with their minds, their bodies (in the midst of a battle scene), and their hearts.
The Woman King surprised me in many ways. While there are some screenwriting choices in the final act that could have been improved, and although some might deem this story “cheesy,” this film tugged on my heartstrings in unexpected ways.
The Woman King rules in my book.
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