The Woman King: Majestic African Epic!

Director Gina Prince-Bythewood and Screenwriter Dana Stevens have created a film with a lot going for it.  I anticipate that it will wind up on many Top Ten lists, probably including mine.  It's an epic which needs to be seen on the B. S.  The movie is based on a true story about how a band of female Agojie warriors, from the country of Dahomey in West Africa, defeated the much more powerful Oyo Empire. The film starts in 1823.  The Europeans are engaged in the African slave trade.  The Oyo Empire captures the slaves and then sells them to the Europeans for guns and other items.  Even Dahomey assists the Oyo in the slave trade, in order to improve their economy, although King Ghezo (John Boyega) of Dahomey is ambivalent about this policy. Nanisca (Viola Davis) is the leader of the female Agojie warriors.  They are fierce and a force to be reckoned with.  After a victorious battle with another tribe, the Agojie suffer significant losses, so they need new recruits.  The Agojie warriors are devoted only to each other and their King, so they are not allowed to be with any man.  (Essentially, they live just like nuns, except they kill people.)  One teenager, Nawi (Thuso Mbedu), is chosen as a recruit because she keeps rejecting her father's choices for a husband.  The new recruits are trained by Izogie (Lashana Lynch).  Nanisca, Nawi, and Izogie develop intense relationships with each other, which is the major focus of the film (although there are some terrific battle scenes, too). It's an uplifting, true story about how a badly out-numbered and under-armed band of female warriors overcame incredible odds to defeat a much more powerful foe.  Add to this the wonderful costumes, excellent performances, the terrific African music and dances, and the beautiful cinematography, and you wind up with a MUST-SEE!