Viola opened up a new bag of skills for this one, but she didn't have to carry the cast. They're all phenomenal. It's not going to get Black Panther numbers. But it should. Bythewood did her thing again. Are you going to see it?
3. "going to see it tomorrow!" In response to Reply # 0
There is of course a boycott going on by Ados/FBA because they felt that Hollywood is encouraging celebrating a slave trading tribe, but imma see anything Viola is in, regardless of content 🤷🏾♀️
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I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.
5. "I can't get past them glorifying a slave trading kingdom..." In response to Reply # 0 Sat Sep-17-22 11:35 PM by Sofian_Hadi
...that literally conquered other Africans and sold them to white people for slavery....until England made them stop. Its fucking weird. Lol
Im not ADOS or whatever. I couldn't give less of a shit. I just studied African history in college and i was shocked when i found out the kingdom they were using. That's like making a movie about the Holocaust and changing Nazis to some sort of heroes.
Shit is weird as hell if you know the true history. ENGLAND ACTUALLY MADE THE KINGDOM OF DAHOMEY STOP SELLING SLAVES. It took England to say "hey man, yall really need to cut this shit out. We outlawed slavery." I doubt ill be able to get into the movie due to that just being fucking weird. Lol.
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"The world is before you and you need not take it or leave it as it was when you came in." - James Baldwin
10. "Are you going to see it?" In response to Reply # 5
Because this same issue comes up in the on-screen dialogue. Also, I understand there were regions in Africa were captives were sold into slavery which enriched some African kingdoms. And yes, that is a horrible part of their legacy. But that's not all their history; it's not the totality of their story. The story of these women is also important.
16. "Not sure if I'll see it yet" In response to Reply # 10
But from what I've read they added a throw away line about maybe selling palm oil or something instead. In reality there was never any consideration by the King to abandon slavery until the British made them, and they still continued to trade in slaves anyway.
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"The world is before you and you need not take it or leave it as it was when you came in." - James Baldwin
21. "This film isn't meant to be a documentary, tho..." In response to Reply # 16
In every film "based on a true story" there is creative license. It may be that the producers didn't want that storyline to be the main antagonizing theme. Look at what was done in the 'Hidden Figures' movie There was a scene added giving the Kevin Costner character a hero moment that never happened, but it was a pivotal scene in the film.
14. "I hear you, but...." In response to Reply # 5
If we can wear Nike knowing the continued conditions under which they're made, I think we can check out a film about an African empire which no longer exists. The film doesn't glamorize what happened. They have to put 🍑🍑 in the seats, so the trailer looks a certain way. You should check it out and judge for yourself on what it actually is instead of what it seems to be.
17. "I just wish they made a character attacking that Kingdom " In response to Reply # 14
...being that Viola Davis' character is fictional why not just make up an entire story about a group of women fighting for freedom from the Dahomey. I don't know, hopefully it's first place box office leads to better and more accurate black led historical epics
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"The world is before you and you need not take it or leave it as it was when you came in." - James Baldwin
The Dahomey tribe is not a good tribe to base a movie on. They were slave traders that forced slaves to march around the tree of forgetfulness six times in order to forget the continent that came from and people they left behind. This tribe continued to trade slaves until they were colonized ironically.
The women are masculine and the men are effimenized as an example of white supremacist liberal propaganda. In other words covert gender confusion marketed to the black community disguised as history. Extreme violence, rape, and murder are common themes of this movie.
Some of y'all co-sign it because of the dark skinned people in the movie, the vast majority of whom are foreign actors. Solidarity amongst colonized communities is odd in relation to support of this movie. For some odd reason people support representation without researching history.... Uk writers and directors take another loss with historical films after that Harriet debacle starring that anti-Black racist and that disrespectful story.
When is Hollywood going to bastardize the history of other groups? Where's the woman king equivalent Hollywood markets to the asian, latino, Jewish, and white communities?
No empathy for white misery (c) BDot
"root for everybody black haters say that's crazy, wow..."
19. "the internalized patriarchy and misogyny is strong in this one." In response to Reply # 8
with a pinch of binary thinking and nationalism to boot...oof.
d
I don't speak to provoke. I speak because I think our time is short and each moment that we are not our truest selves, and we say what we do not mean because we imagine that is what somebody wants us to say, is wasting our time on this Earth - C. Adichie
>Making the horrible slavery supporting enemy the hero is a >pretty big change, even in the realm of 'based on a true >story.'
This was flawed subject to base a inspiring epic on. But ppl wanna pretend is misogny, or conditioning, or whatever...
Jesus, just keep it a buck and say you don't care about the history. That's cool, do you. But you make yourself look stupid by dismissing valid criticisms of the subject of this 'empowering' story, about the people who were a big part of us collectively being dehumanized.
*rolls eyes*
I don't even get the logical leaps taht takes, but still, do you.
18. "It is absolutely phenomenal" In response to Reply # 0
Black Woman Producer (Viola) Black Woman Director Black (mostly) Women Stars Black Woman Editor Black Production Designer Black Composer
And countless other Black crew, extras plus shot in South Africa
and on top of all that, the film is breathtaking and glorious. The story, the acting, the cinematography, the stunts, the fight choreo, the editing, the emotional wallop of so many scenes...VIOLA MUHFUCKIN DAVIS
seeing Black women on screen with this kind of power and agency, my god. An action film too!!!
It exceeded my expectations and I can't wait to see it again. Like i'm buying a ticket to see it again.
d
I don't speak to provoke. I speak because I think our time is short and each moment that we are not our truest selves, and we say what we do not mean because we imagine that is what somebody wants us to say, is wasting our time on this Earth - C. Adichie
20. "Even though my eyes were glued to the screen..." In response to Reply # 18
I'm sure that somehow I managed to miss something so yep I'm definitely going to see it again. Viola definitely did her thing with this film and she should be proud 🙌🏾
Frank Longo Member since Nov 18th 2003 86672 posts
Thu Sep-22-22 01:56 PM
38. "It's really good. " In response to Reply # 18
From a sheer filmmaking perspective, it's a rousing, exciting crowd-pleaser. It earns our tears, it earns our cheers. The cinematography is strong, the action is effective. And the cast-- GPB is always great with actors, so this isn't a surprise, but they do a great job of making us care about a variety of characters, all the way to characters with very few lines of dialogue. The performances really pop. (Mbedu in particular was outstanding and will almost certainly make my end-of-year Best Actress list.)
24. "I plan to see the movie but Sofian_Hadi ain't wrong. " In response to Reply # 0
I want to support Black filmmaking women but it's a weird tribe to glorify for black American audiences.
A lot of contortions going on in this post to justify it but I just don't think it's necessary. History is complicated. Heros do shitty things and Villians some time do good things. *shrugs*
********** "Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson
48. "a certain demo of Black folks are pavlov's negroes when it comes to medi..." In response to Reply # 27
Put a Black woman in a lead or supporting demo, they are going to consume it, and act like that's activism, no matter how right-wing, anti-black, tacky or confused to content. The Slave Play and Harriet/Bigger Long debacles made me realize it's a whole lot of Black folks who's diginty/pride threshold is HELLA different than mine.
legsdiamond Member since May 05th 2011 79586 posts
Mon Sep-26-22 08:26 AM
57. "get banged in an orgy… smh. well shit. " In response to Reply # 43
yeah, you right..
sounds like that old OKP, lol
**************** TBH the fact that you're even a mod here fits squarely within Jag's narrative of OK-sanctioned aggression, bullying, and toxicity. *shrug*
>Sprinkling #BlackGirlMagic on slave traders ain't the flex >that the "representation matters" set thinks it is. > >dahomey were monsters, and fuck'em all
51. "the way ya'll bend over backwards to NOT support black films" In response to Reply # 0
never ceases to amaze me. yes, the Dahomey were slave traders. we know. we get it. what does that have to do with you watching this film? we can't watch films about complicated figures/topics? everything gotta be perfect and pristine or we not watching it? i'm positive ya'll would find something wrong with a movie like that too. the levels ya'll go through to nitpick everything black that comes out is wild to me. the amount of criticism from black people who haven't even seen the movie is just stupid.
i'm not even saying you can't criticize something, but to go this hard and not even have watched it yet is crazy.
54. "you don't even care about that " In response to Reply # 52
i'm not even defending anything. i haven't said one thing in favor of the movie. i'm talking about you just trying to find something to nitpick. even if it's written by a black woman you don't even care to support that either so don't act like that's even a priority for you. you'll find something else to complain about.
"it's about slave traders!!!". yes fam, we know that. people who've watched the film are giving their views on the film and what they thought about it. meanwhile, you actively out here trying to get people not to watch a movie you haven't even seen which is weird. i'm not even saying you have to like it, nor am i saying that you have to watch it. watching this movie is no more supporting slave traders than watching American Gangster is supporting drug dealers. were you up in arms about that movie? i'm willing to bet you weren't but you're gonna pretend like you were though.
"it's not historically accurate!!!". ok, and? can you name me one biopic/period film that's 100% historically accurate? no you can't, because there is no such thing. it's just a tired argument as usual.
i just find it hilarious that the only time all these nitpicks and wannabe boycotts come up is when it's a black led film. and heaven forbid if it's black women led film, then it's really gonna catch it. "but a woman can't be a king!!!". OH GOOD LORD, SHUT UP ALREADY!
60. "Frank Lucas was a notorious drug dealer" In response to Reply # 56
i don't remember any boycotts being called for when they made American Gangster. pretty sure he did quite a bit of harm to his own community, but we ok with that i guess. matter of fact, we love movies and tv shows about real life drug dealers. that's our favorite heroes to portray on film. i think i've lost count how many times Bumpy Johnson has been a character in a movie. didn't Laurence Fishburne play him twice? isn't Godfather of Harlem about Bumpy too? BMF is about the real crew and Meech son is playing his father in that. i could go on.
but by all means, let's get all up in arms about this African kingdom who sold slaves.
61. "that comparison doesn't work for me." In response to Reply # 60 Wed Sep-28-22 09:15 AM by spades
I don't see drug dealing major or petty to be on the same level of the systemized rape, dehumanization, brutalization of my people.
To me it seems as if you're comparing Tom (from Tom and Jerry) with Thanos (from the MCU). Fictionalized villians both to be sure, but scale wise - incomparible.
In fact the gulf between these things, to me, seems so wide as to invite questions to sincerity of the comparison to begin with.
That being said; reasonable people can disagree and I'ma leave it right there.
62. "If brothers left the movie theater saying AG was "empowering"" In response to Reply # 60
"revolutionary art" "I cried at the end"
They wouldve got laughed at. As they should.
the black american drug trade wouldn't exist if it wasn't for the trans atlantic slave trade. The fact you want to conflate the two is why bullshit movies like Woman King shouldn't exist.
"They used to call me Baby Luke....but now? The whole damn 2 Liiiive Crew."
but I think its possible to acknowledge the history AND watch it.
**************** TBH the fact that you're even a mod here fits squarely within Jag's narrative of OK-sanctioned aggression, bullying, and toxicity. *shrug*
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