The Woman King star Viola Davis has defended the "fictionalized" movie following backlash over its historical inaccuracy. Directed by The Old Guard's Gina Prince-Bythewood, the action-packed drama centers on the Agojie, the all-female warriors that protected the West African kingdom of Dahomey in the early 1800s – and while it's inspired by the real-life women, its story isn't exactly based on true events.
More closely, it follows General Nanisca (Davis), the unit's hardened leader, who is forced to confront her own violent past as defiant youngster Nowi (Thuso Mbedu) trains as one of the next band of fighters. Their goal? To liberate themselves from the domineering Oyo Empire and push back against the emerging slave trade.
Since its release in the US, the acclaimed movie has topped the box office but some viewers have taken to social media to criticize its portrayal of certain historical figures and suggest that the movie doesn't explore Dahomey's part in the business deeply enough. The film sees Nanisca challenge John Boyega's King Ghezo – who accumulated vast wealth through the slave trade – on his brother's decision to hand over Dahomey's captives a handful of times. It certainly doesn't avoid shedding light on the complex generational trauma human trafficking causes, either. In reality, though, King Ghezo didn't cease exporting people until 1852 – and a few viewers have suggested it glosses over that fact.
"You're not going to win an argument on Twitter," Davis recently explained to Variety, quoting an earlier interview of Bythewood's. "We entered the story where the kingdom was in flux, at a crossroads. They were looking to find some way to keep their civilization and kingdom alive. It wasn't until the late 1800s that they were decimated. Most of the story is fictionalized. It has to be."
"We are now what we call 'edu-tainment'. It's history but we have to take license. We have to entertain people," producer Julius Tennon, Davis' husband, added. "If we just told a history lesson, which we very well could have, that would be a documentary. Unfortunately, people wouldn't be in the theaters doing the same thing we saw this weekend. We didn't want to shy away from the truth. The history is massive and there are truths on that that are there. If people want to learn more, they can investigate more."
The Woman King is out in US cinemas now, and will be released in the UK on October 4. While we wait across the pond, check out our breakdown of the most exciting upcoming movies still to come our way in 2022 and beyond.
