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What a refreshing movie. The Woman King is wonderful stuff. I found myself cheering for the women and the Africans, as they won their battles against their male and European foes. History has often been depressing in its relentless exploitation of the noble savage and the female of the species. Watching a film where these folk finally get the upper hand was a welcome thrill. The depiction of the slave trade in Africa was a reminder of the horrendous role Europeans played in making their fortune in this manner. All too many of us, white, well fed Westerners put this stuff out of our thoughts, when it was really not that long ago.
Women Warriors Winning In The Woman King
Technology, in the form of guns, furnished some despicable people with the means to overwhelm the Indigenous populations. Indeed, guns are still facilitating some pretty awful behaviour by groups of men in a variety of places around the world. Russians, Americans, Australian police officers, militaries everywhere really. The idea of the noble savage, although racist in large part, is truer than some might think. There was a noble strand of bravery running through many Indigenous warriors and it was technology in the guise of modern weapons which allowed kingdoms and cultures to fall to European aggressors and colonial powers.
Bravery and real nobility were subsumed by greedy bastards with guns.
Movies Like The Woman King Something To Cheer About
The world of make believe, in the form of movies, is redressing history in a bid to give all those disenfranchised members of the human race something to cheer about. Women, who have traditionally been forced to sacrifice everything else in their lives to their reproductive function, never got to do any of the fun stuff depicted in adventure films. Writers, directors, and producers are now doing something about that. The Woman King celebrates African women in powerful roles achieving victories over and above the odds and their customary oppressors. You gotta love that. The movie business has for most of its existence portrayed every story from the perspective of the white man. Very few cinematic narratives featuring celebrated wins for characters with dark skin have been made over the last century. It is deeply refreshing to enjoy a movie where African actors can play great African characters overcoming those white folk who usually take home the chocolates.
“The Woman King is the remarkable story of the Agojie, the all-female unit of warriors who protected the African Kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s with skills and a fierceness unlike anything the world has ever seen. Inspired by true events, The Woman King follows the emotionally epic journey of General Nanisca (Oscar®-winner Viola Davis) as she trains the next generation of recruits and readies them for battle against an enemy determined to destroy their way of life. Some things are worth fighting for….”
This story makes great viewing, especially in contrast to the overabundance of the normal fare available on our screens. Too many American shows brandishing stupid male characters strutting about with their guns. Dumb scripts and even dumber depictions of ugly characters doing morally repugnant things. Human life as seen through the lens of the movie camera is a depressing display of dirty deeds done for greed. There is obviously a demand for this stuff and The Woman King treads this thematic turf but turns the tables on the usual oppressors.
I suspect that old white males, not old white whales, watching this film will cry ‘woke’. This conservative catch cry favoured by culture warriors like Ron DeSantis in Florida seeks to stir outrage in the hearts of the dominant white cohort. How dare these visionaries in the movie business display an alternative view of life on planet earth.
The hypersensitive nature of the white male hegemony will not witness such outrages silently. America is losing its unrivalled place at the top of the tree and many are looking around for someone to blame.
Robert Sudha Hamilton
©Midas Word
