Blu-ray Review: THE WOMAN KING

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Dec 27, 2022 Posted by Kyle Nolan in DVD/Blu-ray, Reviews | Comments

The 2022 drama The Woman King is set in West Africa in 1823, and is based on true events. King Ghezo (John Boyega) has just taken over rulership of the African kingdom of Dahomey from its enemy, the Oyo Empire. The kingdom had been part of a viscous circle of capturing its own people to sell to European slavers, but now the young king is planning to end Dahomey’s participation in the slave trade. After the Agojie, an elite force of female soldiers led by General Nanisca (Viola Davis), frees some of the Oyo’s slaves, the Empire threatens retaliation, teaming up with the Mahi to plot a raid on the Dahomey village unless reparations are made. While the Oyo have horses and guns, the Agojie, are well-trained in combat, and have devoting their lives to protecting their people and their king.

Nanisca and the other soldiers are in the midst of training the next generation of warriors. Some of these new recruits, like Fumbe (Masali Baduza), are orphans who were freed from the Oyo. Other recruits volunteered on their own, while some were sent there by their family. Nawi (Thuso Mbedu) falls into this latter group. She is a stubborn 19-year-old who defied her father each time he tried to arrange a marriage with some rich older man, often insulting the potential groom. Her father had had enough, and decided to let the Agojie deal with her. While Nawi is a bit rebellious and doesn’t always follow the rules, she shows great promise and skill, and becomes fast friends with her tough but caring mentor Izogie (Lashana Lynch).

As the young women prepare for their final test to join the Agojie, Nanisca deals with the political situation in the village. She has become a well respected advisor to the King, earning her place on the counsel. Many of the women believe the king will give her the title of “The Woman King”, and make her his equal female counterpart—though not if the King’s young new wife has any say. However, there are more pressing matters to deal with, such as the escalating situation with the Oyo. Slavers from Brazil have arrived and the Oyo’s ruthless general, Oba Ade (Jimmy Odukoya), will stop at nothing to get them the cargo they require, even if it means razing the Dahomey village to the ground. While the Agojie are well trained for any situation, the Oyo general appears to have some sort of connection to Nanisca’s past, and is the only person who seems to be able to shake her confidence.

The Woman King is a compelling and entertaining drama about a part of history that most people probably aren’t even aware of. It is the story of two women, the first a strong general dealing with trauma from her past, while trying to change the future for her people, to put an end to the viscous cycle of slavery her people have been participating in for generations. The other is a young woman trying to find herself, prove she is a warrior, and learn to be part of a team. At the same time, she is experiencing love for the first time, both romantically as well as being part of a sisterhood and a family. She’s not good at following rules, but to be a part of the Agojie, she’s going to have to. However, like Nanisca, she also has some things in her past that may derail her efforts.

The first portion of the film follows the training and trials of the new recruits, introducing the viewer to this Dahomey world and its customs. Then we follow the Agojie into battle as Nanisca must face her demons, and Nawi must make some life decisions. The film is really well done, from epic battles and action sequences, to interesting characters and drama. When these women go into battle with their swords and spears, it’s not joke, and the actors really bring it. The battle sequences feel so visceral and real—I would not want to be on the receiving end of an Agojie attack. At the same time, when these Dahomey women are back at the village, they are loving and caring for one another, and a true sisterhood in every sense of the word.

Viola Davis is phenomenal in this role, delivering on the drama of Nanisca dealing with her past trauma, giving the rousing speeches to her army, and kicking butt when they go into battle. Nanisca has some very emotional scenes with her trusted aide Amenza (Sheila Atim). Another standout to me was Lashana Lynch as Izogie. Her character can be a serious training teacher one minute, fun and hilarious the next, and then be clawing at an enemy’s face with her sharpened fingers. Lynch has tremendous range, and is like a chameleon, able to be completely transform herself for each role—I am constantly in awe with each new thing I see her in. Thuso Mbedu was also a pleasant surprise. Nawi is like the Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell of the trainees, the cocky new recruit who thinks she knows everything, and is very willing to break the rules. But after being knocked down a few pegs, she soon discovers that the Agojie is not an individual effort, and that she must work as part of a team. Mbedu makes you care about this character, even though she’s a bit stubborn and full of herself at first. Nawi proves herself to not only be a skilled soldier, but also a caring and loving person.

Sony has released the film on both 4K UHD and Blu-ray, and I was sent the latter for review. The picture quality is still quite good on the Blu-ray, with a clean, clear picture that captures the beauty of the African locale, both in the Dahomey village, and in the green fields and forests where much of the battles take place. There is an excellent level of detail, allowing you to see the battle scars of the Agojie women, pores in faces, and textures in their clothing. There are some scenes that take place in the darkness of night, but the details are still quite discernable. While Sony reserves its Dolby Atmos tracks for the 4K releases, the Blu-ray’s DTS-HD Master Audio track is still very impressive. It provides clear dialogue, and excellent immersive ambiance, such as the sounds of the wildlife in the forest, the crackling of fires, the beating of drums, and the screams of men and women training in the courtyard. When the battle cries sound, you feel like you are right there in the middle of the action.

The Blu-ray disc comes in a standard HD keepcase, placed inside a glossy cardboard slipcover. An insert provides instructions on how to redeem an HD digital copy of the film. The bonus material consists of over 40 minutes of behind-the-scenes featurettes with the cast/crew, an audio commentary with the filmmakers, and some audition footage.

What’s Included:

Film: (2:14:52)

1080p / Widescreen 2.40:1
Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English Audio Descriptive Service, Portuguese 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
Subtitles: English, English SDH, Portuguese, Spanish

Digital (Limited time offer):

HD digital copy of the film, redeemable via Movies Anywhere or Vudu

Extras:

A Caterpillar’s Destruction: Viola Davis On Set (9:48)
The cast and crew discuss how the idea for the film came from Maria Bello, what drew Viola to the role, the physical training for the role, what it was like working with Viola, the empowerment in the film, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with stars Viola Davis (“Nanisca”), Sheila Atim (“Amenza”), Lashana Lynch (“Izogie”), Thuso Mbedu (“Nawi”), John Boyega (“King Ghezo”) & Adrienne Warren (“Ode”), producer Julius Tennon, and director Gina Prince-Bythewood.
Woman/Warrior (11:40)
The cast and crew discuss the characters and casting the roles, working with Viola, the Agojie’s skills and methods, the training and stunts, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director Gina Prince-Bythewood, producer Cathy Schulman, co-screenwriter Dana Stevens, cast trainer & nutritionist Gabriela McClain, stunt coordinator Daniel Hernandez, and stars Viola Davis, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, Thuso Mbedu, Adrienne Warren & Masali Baduza (“Fumbe”).
Storytellers (10:19)
The cast and crew discuss the many women in leadership positions on the project, the collaborative nature of working with the director, shooting the film in Africa, designing the sets and clothing to make sure they were historically accurate, the hair and makeup, the weapons, the battle dance sequence, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director Gina Prince-Bythewood, editor Terilyn A. Shropshire, production designer Akin McKenzie, hair department head Louisa V. Anthony, hairstylist Jamika Wilson, makeup designer Babalwa Mtshiselwa, props Kerry Von Lillienfeld, choreographer Zoyi Lindiwe Muendane, and stars Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu, Sheila Atim, Masali Baduza, Lashana Lynch, Adrienne Warren & John Boyega.
Audio Commentary (2:14:52)
Director Gina Prince-Bythewood and editor Terilyn A. Shropshire provide an interesting and informative commentary on this their sixth film together, which was originally recorded just days away from finishing the film. The discuss the script and how it evolved, the score, the physical training, the sets, the characters and so much more. While providing a scene-by-scene commentary, they share some behind the scenes stories about the cast and the production.
Representation Matters (9:59)
The cast and crew discuss the history they learned from making the film, the training these Agojie warriors had to go through, how the Dahomey kingdom was the only kingdom to give women a voice in the government at that time, highlighting darker-skinned actresses, allowing Black women to see themselves represented on screen, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director Gina Prince-Bythewood, co-screenwriter Dana Stevens, production designer Akin McKenzie, and stars Lashana Lynch, Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu & Adrienne Warren.
Thuso Mbedu – Auditions (6:34)
Footage of actress Thuso Mbedu auditioning for the role of “Nawi”.
Previews (7:31)
Trailers for Bullet Train (2:37), The Invitation (2:32), and A Journal for Jordan (2:21) play back-to-back.

Final Thoughts:

My Rating

Film:

Video:

Audio:

Extras:

Highly Recommended

The Woman King is a well-acted and well-written drama that introduces viewers to a fascinating part of history they likely never knew about. It features compelling characters, some amazing action/battle sequences, and excellent performances. I first saw this in the theater and enjoyed it just as much the second time around on this disc. Sony’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds great, and includes a lot of interesting bonus material. This is an easy recommendation for anyone looking for a rich, emotional and empowering period drama with timeless themes.