History Film / TheWomanKing

* TheDogBitesBack: [[spoiler:The captive villagers are set free by Malik, and the first thing they do is beat Ferreira before drowning him.]]

** The film follows the story of the Dahomey kingdom, who are depicted as heroic for resisting the oppression of the rival Oyo Empire, particularly against the Oyo capturing and enslaving Dahomey citizens to sell to Europeans. The film doesn't ''ignore'' that the Dahomey were prolific slave traders, but it does depict the Agojie as being against the trade (they weren't and were often responsible [[RapePillageAndBurn for the raiding and enslaving themselves]]) and even suggests that they were responsible for ending it (they were actually some of the last holdouts in the trade due to their economic dependence). It further ignores that the Dahomey ''practiced human sacrifice'', although the degree to how bad it was was often extremely exaggerated by anti-abolitionist literature to justify the continuation of slavery.
** The film also depicts the Dahomey as defending themselves against the Oyo Empire's aggression, while in reality the Dahomey were the aggressors by raiding several villages allied to the Oyo, which is what ultimately sparked the war between the two nations. This is partially mitigated in the film by showing the opening raid by the Dahomey provoking the Oyo's plans to attack them eventually.
** Nanisca's suggestion to switch to trading palm oil instead of slaves is portrayed as being motivated by morality, when in actuality, [[PragmaticVillainy this debate only occured in Dahomey because the British were preventing them from selling slaves at the time.]] They quickly went back to slaving after palm oil trading was less lucrative. Not to mention that even during their switch to palm oil production, the people working the plantations were ''still slaves''.
* HistoricalVillainUpgrade: The Oyo Empire is portrayed as slavers and the aggressor in the conflict, when it was actually Dahomey that started the war by raiding Oyo villages and enslaving their allies. The dynamic between the two kingdoms was the complete opposite in reality.

* ArtisticLicenseHistory: As is par for the course with "BasedOnATrueStory" movies. To name one example not covered by HistoricalHeroUpgrade, Nanisca enters a relationship with [[spoiler:Malik]] that's heavily hinted to be sexual; in real life, the Agojie were required to be celibate as they were ceremonially married to the king.

* HistoricalVillainDowngrade: The Oyo Empire is portrayed as slavers and the aggressor in the conflict, when it was actually Dahomey that started the war by raiding Oyo villages and enslaving their allies. The dynamic between the two kingdoms was the complete opposite in reality.

** The film also depicts the Dahomey as defending themselves against the Oyo Empire's aggression, while in reality the Dahomey were the aggressors by raiding several villages allied to the Oyo, which is what ultimately sparked the war between the two nations.

%%* TheLancer: Izogie and Amenza seem to function as Co-Lancers to Nanisca.

* TokenGoodTeammate: Malik is the only white-passing character in the movie who's not onboard with the slave trade. The fact that he's half-Dahomey has something to do with it.

** The film follows the story of the Dahomey kingdom, who are depicted as heroic for resisting the oppression of the rival Oyo Empire, particularly against the Oyo capturing and enslaving Dahomey citizens to sell to Europeans. The film doesn't ''ignore'' that the Dahomey were prolific slave traders, but it does depict the Agojie as being against the trade (they weren't and were often responsible [[RapePillageAndBurn for the raiding and enslaving themselves]]) and even suggests that they were responsible for ending it (they were actually some of the last holdouts in the trade due to their economic dependence). It further ignores that the Dahomey ''practiced human sacrifice''.

** The film follows the story of the Dahomey kingdom, who are depicted as heroic for resisting the oppression of the rival Oyo Empire, particularly against the Oyo capturing and enslaving Dahomey citizens to sell to Europeans. The film doesn't ''ignore'' that the Dahomey were prolific slave traders, but it does depict the Agojie as being against the trade (they weren't and were often responsible [[RapePillageAndBurn for the raiding and enslaving themselves]]) and even suggests that they were responsible for ending it (they were actually some of the last holdouts due to their economic dependence). It further ignores that the Dahomey ''practiced human sacrifice''.

** The film follows the story of the Dahomey kingdom, who are depicted as heroic for resisting the oppression of the rival Oyo Empire, particularly against the Oyo capturing and enslaving Dahomey citizens to sell to Europeans. The film doesn't ''ignore'' that the Dahomey were prolific slave traders, but it does depict the Agojie as being against the trade (they weren't and were often responsible [[RapePillageAndBurn for the raiding and enslaving themselves]]) and even suggests that they end it themselves. It further ignores that the Dahomey practiced human sacrifice.

** The film follows the story of the Dahomey kingdom who are depicted as heroic for resisting the oppression of the rival Oyo Empire, particularly against the Oyo capturing and enslaving Dahomey citizens. However, the film glosses over the fact that historically, the Dahomey were prolific slave traders themselves and regularly practiced human sacrifice.

** The film ignores Dahomey's massive role in the Atlantic Slave Trade, with the only scene discussing it making it seem like it was a one time thing. Dahomey was one of the ''main'' seller of slaves to the Americas, until they were forced to stop by a British blockade in the 1850's.
** Nanisca's suggestion to switch to trading palm oil instead of slaves is portrayed as being motivated by morality, when in actuality, [[PragmaticVillainy this debate only occured in Dahomey because the British were preventing them from selling slaves at the time.]] They quickly went back to slaving after palm oil trading was less lucrative. Not to mention that even during their switch to palm oil production, the people working the plantations were still slaves.
** The Agojie, the army of women led by Nanisca, are portrayed as heroic underdogs fighting ''against slavery''. In reality, the Agojie [[RapePillageAndBurn were mostly used as raiders for Dahomey's slave trade,]] with that role being given to the Oyo Empire raiders on the film instead.

** The Agojie, the army of women led by Nanisca, are portrayed as heroic underdogs fighting ''against slavery''. In reality, the Agojie [[RapePillageAndBurn were mostly used as raiders for Dahomey's slave trade,]] with that role being given to the Oyo Empire raiders instead.

* The Agojie, the army of women led by Nanisca, [[RapePillageAndBurn were mostly used as raiders for Dahomey's slave trade,]] and not the heroic underdogs they are portrayed as.

** Nausica's suggestion to switch to trading palm oil instead of slaves is portrayed as being motivated by morality, when in actuality, [[PragmaticVillainy this debate only occured in Dahomey because the British were preventing them from selling slaves at the time.]] They quickly went back to slaving after palm oil trading was less lucrative. Not to mention that even during their switch to palm oil production, the people working the plantations were still slaves.

** Nausica's suggestion to switch to trading palm oil instead of slaves is portrayed as being motivated by morality, when in actuality, [[PragmaticVillainy this debate only occured in Dahomey because the British were preventing them from selling slaves at the time.]] They quickly went back to slaving after palm oil trading was less lucrative.

** Nausica's suggestion to switch to trading palm oil instead of slaves is portrayed as being motivated by morality, when in actuality, [[PragmaticVillainy this debate only occured in Dahomey because the British were preventing them from selling slaves at the time.]]

** HistoricalVillainDowngrade: The Oyo Empire is portrayed as slavers and the aggressor in the conflict, when it was actually Dahomey that started the war by raiding Oyo villages and enslaving their allies. The dynamic between the two kingdoms was the complete opposite in reality.

* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: The film follows the story of the Dahomey kingdom who are depicted as heroic for resisting the oppression of the rival Oyo Empire, particularly against the Oyo capturing and enslaving Dahomey citizens. However, the film glosses over the fact that historically, the Dahomey were prolific slave traders themselves and regularly practiced human sacrifice.

The film is about the Agojie, the female warriors of the Dahomey kingdom led by General Nanisca (Davis). As they train a new set of young warriors, they face a threat against their enemies, the Oyo Empire, along with European slave traders.

%%* BigBad: General Oba Ade, leader of the Oyo Empire.

* BigBad: General Oba Ade, leader of the Oyo Empire.

* TheLancer: Izogie and Amenza seem to function as Co-Lancers to Nanisca.

* TokenGoodTeammate: Malik is the only white-passing character in the movie who's not onboard with the slave trade.

* LukeIAmYourFather: [[spoiler:Nanisca reveals to Nawi that she is her mother.]]

''The Woman King'' is a 2022 historical epic film from writer Dana Stevens and director Gina Prince-Blythewood. It stars Creator/ViolaDavis, Thuso Mbedo, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, and Creator/JohnBoyega, and was released on September 16th, 2022.