{"id":9724,"date":"2022-09-15T16:06:00","date_gmt":"2022-09-15T23:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/?p=9724"},"modified":"2022-09-15T17:15:00","modified_gmt":"2022-09-16T00:15:00","slug":"the-woman-king-scintillating-portrayal-of-powerful-women-protectors-during-one-of-the-most-heart-rending-times-the-era-of-the-trans-atlantic-slave-trade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/2022\/the-woman-king-scintillating-portrayal-of-powerful-women-protectors-during-one-of-the-most-heart-rending-times-the-era-of-the-trans-atlantic-slave-trade\/","title":{"rendered":"The Woman King * Scintillating Portrayal Of Powerful Women Protectors During One Of The Most Heart-Rending Times: The Era Of The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-medium is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/WomanKing.POster.jpg?resize=101%2C150&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9726\" width=\"101\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/WomanKing.POster.jpg?resize=202%2C300&amp;ssl=1 202w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/WomanKing.POster.jpg?w=539&amp;ssl=1 539w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 101px) 100vw, 101px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><em>The Woman King<\/em> 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\u00ae-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&#8230;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Eshaan M. comments, \u201c<em>The Woman King<\/em> is a scintillating portrayal of powerful women protectors driving change in one of world history\u2019s most pivotal and often heart-rending times: the era of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. Yet even through the beautifully-filmed and well-choreographed battle scenes, moments of love triumph and make this film worth watching.\u201d Zoe C. adds, \u201cFemale power at its finest! <em>The Woman King<\/em> is a vibrant celebration of the fierce determination and courage of women. This action film combines a powerful story, vibrant characters, humor and melodrama and\u2014believe it or not\u2014it\u2019s inspired by true events.\u201d See their full reviews below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Woman King<br>By Eshaan M., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 16<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/UU6rxpvPssY?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-medium is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/WomanKinig.a.jpg?resize=225%2C150&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9733\" width=\"225\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/WomanKinig.a.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/WomanKinig.a.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/WomanKinig.a.jpg?w=1000&amp;ssl=1 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><em>The Woman King<\/em> is a scintillating portrayal of powerful women protectors driving change in one of world history\u2019s most pivotal and often heart-rending times: the era of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. \u00a0Yet even through the beautifully-filmed and well-choreographed battle scenes, moments of love triumph and make this film worth watching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Set in the 19<sup>th<\/sup> century in the West African kingdom of Dahomey, <em>The Woman King<\/em> follows the all-female group of warriors, the Agojie, and their general, Nanisca (Viola Davis) as they fight, not just against the rival Oyo and Mahi tribes, but foreigners who wish to destroy their way of life and take their people. Along the way, Nanisca must grapple with her past\u2026 and Nawi (Thuso Mbedo), a young girl among the ranks of the Agojie who turns out to shape Nanisca&#8217;s future.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-medium is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Womanking.b.jpg?resize=225%2C150&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9732\" width=\"225\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Womanking.b.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Womanking.b.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Womanking.b.jpg?w=1000&amp;ssl=1 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><figcaption>BTS &#8211; (l to r) Lashana Lynch, Thuso Mbedu and director, Gina Prince-Bythewood.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Director Gina Prince-Bythewood outdoes herself. Beyond being a film that does its bit to rectify historical exclusion of African narratives in Hollywood, <em>The Woman King<\/em> is a superb crowd-pleaser, with familiar thematic beats of moralism, love, and community and a fresh-enough take on the &#8220;historical war film.\u201d The sets transport viewers to pre-colonial Benin, and the cinematography, especially the use of light (inside the palace barracks) and color (the earthy tones of Dahomey\u2019s villages), further enhances the viewing experience. The background score by Lebo M. and Terence Blanchard draws on traditional West African music. It\u2019s simply goosebump-inducing to watch the Agojie charge into battle accompanied by soulful singing and the djembe and marimba. <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-medium is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Womanking.a.jpg?resize=225%2C150&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9729\" width=\"225\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Womanking.a.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Womanking.a.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Womanking.a.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Good Lord\u00a0 \u2014 can Viola Davis do no wrong? The highly-proclaimed actress is perfect for the role of the ruthless, defensive, protective leader; the emotional depth Davis taps into is frankly impressive. She hits all the notes \u2014 trauma survivor, bereaved mother, sister in arms \u2014 impeccably. Davis&#8217; character\u2019s more conservative, regimented, typically \u201ctop brass\u201d attributes are beautifully offset by Thuso Mbedo\u2019s portrayal of Nawi, the newest recruit who seems to challenge every rule so carefully enforced by Nanisca (and isn\u2019t afraid to confront Nanisca as an \u201carrogant old woman\u201d). Nawi and Nanisca\u2019s relationship flowers in a way that will make viewers say \u201caww\u201d and though the two tussle every so frequently, the duo becomes the most lovable part of the film \u2014 a tough contest. A close second favorite is Izogie (Lashana Lynch), a more experienced member of the Agojie, who is equal parts hilarious, profound, and sweet. My favorite line of Izogie\u2019s is essentially, &#8220;We all have a lot to cry about; it is better to laugh.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-medium is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Womankind.f.jpg?resize=225%2C150&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9727\" width=\"225\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Womankind.f.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Womankind.f.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Womankind.f.jpg?w=1000&amp;ssl=1 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><figcaption>Viola Davis and Lashana Lynch with young recruits in THE WOMAN KING.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><em>The Woman King<\/em> promotes liberty, staying true to yourself, standing up for what is right, keeping your head held high (but your arrogance in check), obeying authority while also making wise decisions for yourself, and protecting those you love. Nanisca fights against King Ghezo\u2019s (John Boyega) vision to sell their prisoners of war to the Europeans for guns and other \u201cvaluable\u201d goods, acting as a strong voice against racism and the commodification of humans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I give <em>The Woman King<\/em> 5 stars out of 5 and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. <em>The Woman King <\/em>releases in theaters on September 16, 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Woman King<br>By Zoe C., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 14<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3RDaPV_rJ1Y?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-medium is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Womanking.e.jpg?resize=225%2C176&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9728\" width=\"225\" height=\"176\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Womanking.e.jpg?resize=300%2C235&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Womanking.e.jpg?w=637&amp;ssl=1 637w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><figcaption>Viola Davis, Shelia Atim and Lashana Lynch star in THE WOMAN KING<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Female power at its finest! <em>The Woman King<\/em> is a vibrant celebration of the fierce determination and courage of women. This action film combines a powerful story, vibrant characters, humor and melodrama and\u2014believe it or not\u2014it\u2019s inspired by true events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the early 1800s, an all-female military regiment battled against slave trading and protected the African kingdom of Dahomey. They were called the Agojie, and they served their king. Although they were the king\u2019s wives, they were confined to stay celibate. Leading the group of brave warriors is General Nanisca, gracefully played by Viola Davis. A young girl, Nawi (Thusi Mbedu), decides to be part of the army and through her journey we discover how the Agojies operate. She develops an intriguing relationship with Nanisca who trains the next generation of fighters and reminds us of a mother figure to all the brave army. When the kingdom of Dahoney faces the imminent threat to their freedom of European colonialism, they must fight for their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-medium is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Womanking.d.jpg?resize=225%2C150&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9730\" width=\"225\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Womanking.d.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Womanking.d.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Womanking.d.jpg?w=1000&amp;ssl=1 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><figcaption>Viola Davis and Thuso Mbedu star in THE WOMAN KING<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>In a movie industry crowded with latex-wearing super heroes, the down-to-earth tone and naturalistic cinematography encourages us to stay connected with the story. The score immerses us in an epic adventure while the audience vibrates with the sounds of the orchestra. The performances in this movie were absolutely captivating and energetic. The ensemble of actresses embodies diversity and personalities, some being more charismatic and stronger; others more vulnerable and funny.\u00a0 Viola Davis is the perfect actress to portray Nanisca and her mannerisms bring all the gravitas required to play this role. Thusi Mbedu plays Nawi with fragility and forcefulness, and Lashana Lynch in her role of Izogie refreshes the screen with subtle humor and flawless charisma. The script by Dana Stevens is based on a story by actress Maria Bello; together, Stevens and Bello remarkably find the most fascinating facts in the true events and deliver a powerful storyline with fictional poetic license. Director Gina Prince-Bythewood delivers an entertaining film, if somewhat overwhelming, with some crowd pleasing elements that may push the film as a big commercial success.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-medium is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Womanking.c.jpg?resize=225%2C170&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9731\" width=\"225\" height=\"170\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Womanking.c.jpg?resize=300%2C226&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Womanking.c.jpg?resize=768%2C578&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Womanking.c.jpg?w=1000&amp;ssl=1 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><figcaption>Viola Davis stars in THE WOMAN KING.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><em>The Woman King<\/em> shows women can serve their own passions like loyalty to their own country and principles and not focus on pleasing men. The message of the film is we can decide our own destiny, and that some things are worth fighting for.&nbsp; There are some strong violent scenes and brief nudity.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I give <em>The Woman King<\/em> 4.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 and up. <em>The Woman King <\/em>opens September 16, 2022 in theaters.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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\u00ae-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&#8230;.<\/p>\n<p>KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Eshaan M. comments, \u201cThe Woman King is a scintillating portrayal of powerful women protectors driving change in one of world history\u2019s most pivotal and often heart-rending times: the era of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. Yet even through the beautifully-filmed and well-choreographed battle scenes, moments of love triumph and make this film worth watching.\u201d Zoe C. adds, \u201cFemale power at its finest! The Woman King is a vibrant celebration of the fierce determination and courage of women. This action film combines a powerful story, vibrant characters, humor and melodrama and\u2014believe it or not\u2014it\u2019s inspired by true events.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4949,15],"tags":[5635,5633,5637,5630,3522,5626,5629,4702,5638,1129,5625,4029,5640,5634,5641,5631,5632,3657,5624,5627,5623,5639,5636,1336,5628],"class_list":["post-9724","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-feature-film","category-feature-film-reviews","tag-adrienne-warren","tag-angelique-kidjo","tag-cathy-schulman","tag-chioma-antoinette-umeala","tag-dana-stevens","tag-gina-prince-bythewood","tag-hero-fiennes-tiffin","tag-jayme-lawson","tag-jimmy-odukoya","tag-john-boyega","tag-juliuss-tinnon","tag-lashana-lynch","tag-maria-bello","tag-masali-baduza","tag-polly-morgan","tag-riaan-visman","tag-seputle-sebogodi","tag-shaina-west","tag-sheila-atim","tag-sivuyile-ngesi","tag-siyamthanda-makakane","tag-terence-blachard","tag-thuso-mbedu","tag-viola-davis","tag-wanda-banda"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paS5I2-2wQ","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9724","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9724"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9724\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9734,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9724\/revisions\/9734"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9724"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9724"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9724"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}