The Woman King is the film on Wednesday 17 December 2025 on Italy 1. In the center an epic story set in West Africa in the 1800s, on the false line of epope to Bravehart that tells the courage of a people to rebel against the oppressors. The protagonist of the film is Viola Davis as Nasisca head of the Agojie military unit, virgin warriors also called the Amazons of Dahomey. It is obviously a film, a fiction work that favours action in history, but also allows us to discover a part of the world unknown to European Americans. The Woman King is distributed in Italy by Warner Bros, produced by eOne and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood.
The Woman King la trama
The plot of The Woman King brings us to Dahomey an African kingdom located under the yoke of the Oyo Empire, which manages the slave trade with European empires. Inspired by facts, the film focuses on the story of General Nanisca and in parallel of a young recruit trained to fight as the larger Agojie. The battle against the empire will change the fate of Dahomey.
The Woman King la recensione di un film per gli amanti dell’epica
Net of dramatization and excess of modern attitudes, the film The Woman King should be seen in schools to remind students that the world exists beyond Europe. History lessons built mostly on European history and the Western point of view, often prevent people from understanding that other parts of the world also have their own history. Above all, Africa was not just a slave tank for Westerners.
The value of The Woman King is to tell another part of the often forgotten world. And it is no coincidence that as a producer and protagonist there is Viola Davis. For the rest also the story of Dahomey is Americanized, everything is spectacular and the scenes of action are the guiding thread of the whole narrative. In an era of invasions, of war, the cinema is powerfully back to the imagination of a oppressed people who rebel against their “master”. But the deepening of slave trafficking, the politics of those areas, the figure of the Westerners, are beset under the battle scenes.
The fact that they were warriors definitely helped to sell the film better to American producers, they didn’t have to look for strange games, genre tipping to have strong female characters, they were already the core of the story. The $67 million cashed in the US is proof of how the film intercepted the right formula. Hard to emerge in the Italian box office.
The true story of the Agojie
The kingdom of Dahomey lasted from 1600 until the early 1900s, its territory corresponds largely to today’s Benin and was actually very active in the slave trade. The Agojes really existed, were a military outburst born in the 18th century by Queen Hangbè driven by her younger brother and decided to build a military unit of only women. The film is set in the period of King Ghezo between 1818 and 1858 and actually the Agoje played a central role in the growth of the empire.
The Woman King Il cast
Viola Davis is the soul of The Woman King as Nanisca leader of Agoje, King Ghezo is John Boyega and has the biggest limit to seem like a gangster in the way of speaking, in gestures rather than a leader of the 800. A problem that is also found in other characters, too modern in attitudes and dialogues.
Viola Davis: Nanisca
Thuso Mbedu: Nawi
Lashana Lynch: Izogie
Sheila Atim: Amenza
Hero Fiennes Tiffin: Santo Ferreira
John Boyega: Re Ghezo
Adrienne Warren: Ode
Dove vedere The Woman King in streaming
The Woman King is streaming in Italy on Timvision and Mediaset Infinity+. It is also for rent and or purchase on Apple TV, Amazon Video, Rakuten TV.
L’articolo The Woman King the epic story of the Amazons of Dahomey with Viola Davis, tonight on TV proviene da Dituttounpop.it.
