Now that the trailer for Viola Davis's next big project The Woman King has been released, Redditors are reacting strongly to this first look at the historical war epic. Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood (Love & Basketball), the film will follow the Dahomey Amazons, an all-female Black army within the West African Kingdom of Dahomey.
Viola Davis produced the film and stars alongside Thuso Mbedu (The Underground Railroad) and John Boyega (Star Wars), making for a tremendous cast. The following reactions reflect what film lovers are saying in response to the first trailer of The Woman King.
The Trailer Feels Like 300
Some movie lovers may have been expecting a more prestige historical epic given the involvement of multiple award winner Viola Davis. However, Reddit users are quickly pointing out that the film seems more like a new version of crowd-pleasing commercial war epics like 300.
Redditor Animehimmler draws this direct comparison, saying "it's the same thing as 300 really. Looks cool but there's no way we were getting a nuanced biopic about an African empire sadly." 300 was less of a historical retelling and more about the stylized, over-the-top battle sequences. If this Redditor is correct, then The Woman King will likely not be the awards contender many thought it would be.
The Depiction of The Dahomey Is Inaccurate
Many Reddit users were impassioned in their critique of the film's depiction of the Dahomey Amazons. SimulationsWithBob explains that "the Dahomey were one of the largest Slave trading African states. Their economy was built off of conquering [neighbors], enslaving adults and children, then selling them to Europeans for goods."
This revelation encompasses the bulk of the critiques online with regards to The Woman King. While historical accuracy is always a point of discussion with films (a prime example is the recent biopic Elvis), the omission of this information about the controversial Dahomey Amazons in the trailer seems deliberately misleading.
The Empowerment Talk Replaces Nuance
There are several shots in the trailer showing Viola Davis, also known for her DC comics role as Amanda Waller, and her all-powerful army impressively performing intense action sequences over lines of dialogue that read as empowering mantras for a more contemporary audience. While these sequences look exciting and thrilling, there is a surprising lack of nuance and depth here.
User Efficient-Ad3060 articulates this point by claiming "this is EXACTLY what people were afraid [The Woman King] was going to be...when the reality is far far *far* more nuanced and complicated." This user then goes on to describe the Dahomey's participation in the slave trade. Style over substance seems to be a common critique of this trailer.
The Talk Of Freedom Is Hypocritical
There is a significant use of the word "freedom" in the trailer for The Woman King. At the very beginning of the first look, a voiceover character states that "an evil is coming that threatens our kingdom...our freedom." The rest of the trailer seems to suggest that the Dahomey fought for the freedom of all of Africa from the Europeans.
Redditors responded to the misinformation and found the curious overuse of the word "freedom" to be particularly hypocritical. Vandergrif says it best: "the number of times they talk about freedom in this trailer...while fighting in favor of slavery." The lack of accountability for how the Dahomey define the word freedom has clearly infuriated Redditors.
The Dahomey Amazons Were Not Victorious
The trailer of The Woman King asks audiences to prepare themselves for the "most exceptional female warriors to ever live." That statement might be slightly hyperbolic given that ultimately, the Dahomey Amazons were not victorious against the French.
One Redditor astutely pointed out that "this trailer makes it look like the Dahomey Amazons were slaying left and right...when in reality...the French barely lost any troops while the Dahomey were slaughtered." Perhaps the film addresses this defeat or perhaps the battles in the film take place earlier in history. Audiences will not know just how inaccurate the depiction is until the film is released.
It's Unfair To Hold This Movie More Accountable
While the discourse regarding the historical accuracy of The Woman King seems to lean on a more critical side, there are a number of fans who have come to the film's defense. One Redditor rhetorically asked, "when has any historical action piece been 100% accurate about the subject?"
There is also an argument to be made about the fact that a female-directed war epic starring a majority Black ensemble (including the always excellent John Boyega) should not be immediately dismissed based on a trailer. It is rare for a big-budget historical war epic to feature a diverse ensemble of performers and artists. This material, therefore, should be supported fairly.
Accusations of Propaganda Are Misguided
Some of the discussion surrounding The Woman King addresses that any criticism of propaganda and revisionist history are hypocritical given the history of American cinema. Hailtoantisociety128 analyzes how a "military propaganda movie [Top Gun: Maverick] is one of the highest grossing movies in the world right now...we cheer for people we shouldn't all the time."
This commentary brings up a wide range of difficult topics from the relationship between Top Gun and military propaganda to the unfair criticism of Black-led films. One element of the conversation that remains certain, however, is that cinema has a fraught history of purifying its protagonists for purposes of simplicity and palatability.
The Movie is Not Out Yet!
The trailer, which is set to a Beyoncé song, does paint a picture of the Dahomey Amazons as fierce and righteous warriors protecting their land and freedom, and there is correct reason to believe that the film does not address the historical inaccuracies of that picture.
However, it is too early to write off The Woman King because it hasn't even been released yet. As one Redditor stated, "the movie isn't out yet, so we can't know exactly how they'll tell the story or how nuanced it will be." Movie lovers can be quick to judge films by their trailers, so it is worth noting that this entire debate surrounding the film is premature as of now.
There Should Be More Films Set in Africa
Redditor The_Senate_69 explains how difficult it can be for period films set in Africa: "I have always wanted to see films set in a more medieval Africa...but they just ruin it because they don't want to portray [African culture and history] in a bad light."
This sentiment carries a ton of truth with regards to the level of care taken to these kinds of period films. The_Senate_69 prefers accuracy and truth above all else, even if that means the portrait of a piece of history complicates how a contemporary audience should interpret it.
Regardless, The Woman King Looks Like Fun
The discussions surrounding historical accuracy, unfair criticism, and the rewriting of history on film are important topics to dissect. However, as Cyanoblamin said, "History revisionism aside, this movie looks entertaining. Plenty of silly eye candy action scenes and unintentionally funny writing/plot points."
It is important to remember that ultimately, The Woman King is a piece of entertainment. It is clearly not marketed toward a historically plugged-in audience, but rather The Woman King seems to be more about the crowd-pleasing action than anything else. Even if folks continue to point out inaccuracies that are worth addressing, they can still very much enjoy the experience of the movie itself.