SMART MOVIE REVIEW: 'The Woman King' dives into African culture - The Vicksburg Post

SMART MOVIE REVIEW: ‘The Woman King’ dives into African culture

September 25, 2022 (Sunday) 4:00 am release

Ian Omar Smart Guest Columnist

Performing at the Vicksburg Mall’s B&B Theater, director Gina Prince-Bythewood and producer Viola Davis use “The Woman King” to bring African culture and sisterhood to the fore in a story about the soul of a nation. Extrude.

And more than that, this movie is very funny.

“Queen” It centers around General Naniska (played amazingly by Viola Davis) and her Agoji (African Amazonian warrior), who defend the African nation of Dahomey from neighboring tribes. Their war coincides with Naniska trying to shift the support of King Gezo (played by the charismatic John Boyega) away from participating in the slave trade and into a more agricultural-based economy.

New recruit Nawi (played brilliantly by Suso Mbedu) serves as our conduit to this world as he fights alongside his sisters and meets visitors from Europe.

Bythewood demonstrates his no-nonsense demeanor as a visual stylist by infusing every moment with urgency and beauty. In a fight scene that recalls the chaotic energy of classic Western scrimmage, she is also “good” with quick and purposeful cuts to accentuate the movement and highlight the impact of the javelin throws and gunshots. It sacrifices modern expectations for action.

“Woman Kings” Mann’sthe end of the mohawks” or Campbell’s “zoro mask”

Brycewood also managed to create an image of beauty that gives this story great mythological weight. evokes images. 19th century magic hour backlight The nobility are Disney’s “pocahontasWhen Bythewood doesn’t show off their dark skin, she sometimes transforms Aagojie’s warriors into action poses and striking silhouettes of feminine power.

From Lashana Lynch to Sheria Atim, the film also boasts hordes of black women who imbue the stock characters with personality and humor. It conveys the character’s motivation quickly and yet feels real.

Even subcontractors like Malik (Jordan Bolger) are meant to subvert expectations for this kind of story. The language of Romantic literature (which typically emphasizes white frontiersmen) applies to African women who fight slavery and are courted by European aristocrats.

The rise of this material places it firmly in the realm of historical fiction. That label allows the film to focus on the countries that participated in the transatlantic slave trade, but also to massage the way citizens discuss it.

The film avoids much of the controversy surrounding it by confronting its ugly truths and having black characters debate whether the moral corruption of slavery deserves economic security.

It all makes for a compelling topic for mainstream action movies.

“Queen” It’s a great Americanized tale of seldom-seen people, presented with respect and beauty. increase. Consider that the movie uses English to represent the Dahomey language, whereas all European languages ​​are spoken using subtitles.

The film places us squarely in Dahomey while “othering” the white settlers—great.

Ian Omar Smart graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University with a degree in architecture. When he’s not painting buildings, he’s probably watching movies. You can contact Smart at isiansmart@gmail.com.