The star of the hit 'The Woman King,' Viola Davis addresses several of the criticisms regarding the historical accuracy of her new film.
The film, which has taken the US by storm, has been one of the most valued in recent weeks, obtaining great scores and critical applause. Set in 1823, Davis, who is physically prepared for the role, plays General Nanisca, the leader of the Dahomean legion of warrior women known as the Agojie. For many, the film is very entertaining and spectacular, but the story limps and misrepresents the true facts. Davis thinks the film's job is to amuse, not educate.
The main and most lucrative export of the Kingdom of Dahomey, the one that is portrayed in the film during the 19th century, was slaves. Although the central story of The Woman King focuses squarely on the kingdom's slave trade, with certain licenses and changes and always about its tributary status under the Oyo Empire, there seem to be omissions that are angering a section of the public.
Some think that the film did not go far enough in terms of adaptation or that it even sweetened and changed historical facts to give the plot an epic aspect that would have had no place in real life. Others think that everything suffers from the intention to manipulate the past in an obvious way for a political purpose. The reactions on social networks, as explained by Screen Rant, were fierce from a sector of the public.
Davis, along with her husband, producing partner and co-star Julius Tennon, addressed criticism of historical inaccuracy leveled at The Woman King. Both, like the director Gina Prince-Bythewood, stressed that "they were not going to argue on Twitter", explaining that licenses are taken with the idea of entertaining and that if they had wanted to give a "history lesson", they could have produced a documentary.
“We entered the story where the kingdom was in flux, at a crossroads. They were looking for some way to keep their civilization and their kingdom alive,” Davis says. "Circa 1800, the members of that town were decimated. Most of the story in the film is fictional. And it has to be," concludes the film's star.
