Do you ever get tired of Hollywood Historical Revisionism in favor of Wokeness? The Woman King?

[ConanTheHumanitarian]

I have noticed how historically inaccurate this film is..

Clearly, it is less interested in being a historical piece, than trying to service some sort of woke agenda?

For example, Just to name a few..

Unlike what is depicted in the film

1. The Dahomey were not fighting against Colonizers, or "White Slavers. In truth, they were the ones often enslaving other Africans, and selling them to Europeans at port cities, and other powers prior to European influence. On top of this, Europe has largely outlawed Slavery before the period of time that this movie depicts itself.

2. The idea of moving from being financially dependent on the slave trade, to palm oil was not the idea of the Dahomey themselves. In truth, the British Empire in the early 1800s had suggested the idea to Ghezo.

3. The Agoji were not elite warriors who kicked a bunch of White butt. In truth, during the First and Second Dahomey-Franco Wars during the 1890s, the French decimated them..

4. Much of the reason the Agoji existed was due to the massive conquests of the Dahomey. They needed to supplement their losses in their wars of slavery against other African kingdoms. Therefore, they often enforced women to serve, and many did not do so willing. Females made up roughly 50% of the Dahomey military at one point, and often times they were slaves themselves.

5. They also often went through training to be brutal, that included massacring other people, throwing babies off ledges, decapitating people, mass executions. They desensitized these female soldiers to brutality, so they would go out and kill, and enslave.

Updates

1 y

There are multiple ironies to this story, but I will list a few
1. They are celebrating the history of a tribe that was more instrumental to the slave trade, than arguably any force in history at the time.
2. They are celebrating a tribe in its fight against the "Colonizers" and "Evil White Men"..
When in reality, the Slavers were the Dahomey, and the Europeans had already abolished the Slave trade, and attempted to enforce that on the African kingdoms.

Updates

1 y

3. Many African Americans can trace their lineage to Benin, which is the setting of this story.
In truth, they are celebrating the lives of the tribe that enslaved their ancestors, and sold them to European traders?

What irony
How it truly boggles my mind.

[NamerOfStars]

Here's a related question: why do you keep giving Hollywood money? They have the resources, the contacts, and the tradition, but there's no reason outside studios could pop up and start producing independent movies. Hell, the reason concessions are so expensive at the theater is mostly because of the ruinous contracts theaters have to sign; they'd probably be THRILLED to have one that's more equitable- and customers would be happy to have those savings passed on to them. Of course, many theaters are likely studio-owned, now that that's legal, but there's room for independent theaters, too; more modest budgets and lack of screaming shareholders could make for a FAR less risky setup, and allow for more creativity in productions.

There comes a point where you need to stop blaming companies and start voting with your wallet.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I've heard the noise about this movie. It's actually quite a shame, really.

When I first saw the trailer, for the first few seconds I was sort of fascinated. It looked really cool. Then I heard "an evil is coming" and then they show Europeans... I roll my eyes and then click out.

Later, a bunch of videos started to flood my feed about the what the supposed history behind the Kingdom of Dahomey, and now I just feel bad... Because for a while, Hollywood would often give black people scraps in the name of diversity and inclusion. Sometimes in the form of race-swapping.

But here, they had one good chance to tell another decent, original story since Marvel's Black Panther... and they just F**KED it up in the most spectacular way that I never even thought possible.

[ConanTheHumanitarian]

Yes, there are apparently plenty of scenes of Agoji warriors kicking European ass.
In truth, the European campaigns were very decisive
For example, during the battle of Adegon, the French were heavily outnumbered, and got into hand to hang combat with the Agoji, and male Dahomey.

It ended up being a battle where bayonets were the main source of death
the end result?
around 600 Dahomey were killed, most of them the female warriors
The French suffered 6 dead...

There were actually 2 French wars against the Dahomey.
all told, there were around 3,000 to 6,000 Dahomey death...
French losses were not much more than 100.

[ConanTheHumanitarian]

^ I should mention that those French losses of less than 100, also include their native allies... that were less than spectacular.

There were times when their native allies would be completely routed, and flee the battlefield
Such as the Battle of Atchoukpa
350 French, and their 500 allies (the Porto Novo), fought against 9,000 Dahomey.

The Porto Novo were routed and fled early.
The French held off against a far larger Dahomey force.
They ended up winning the battle, and inflicting over 1,000 casualties on the Dahomey.
On the French side there were 8 dead, of which all of them were Porto Novo.

[ConanTheHumanitarian]

But I guess the White guys have to be the big evil losers in every source of entertainment and education today haha

[Opinion Owner]

Yeah... I mean, I guess it wanted to tell an underdog story about a less advanced culture taking on a more advanced one, and I like a good underdog story as much as the next person. Looks like they took quite a few liberties here.

I'm just tired of the whole "Lets make an African-inspired story... it must at LEAST reference slavery." Even Black Panther snuck it in there, and I thought that film was overall neat.

[ConanTheHumanitarian]

It is quite tiresome.
They just always seem to choose the wrong direction.

[alice55]

Yes and no cause when i see it’s an American movie then i just don’t watch it i Watch something else. I dont get why American doesn’t respect anything in their movie, it’s ridiculous.

[Chazmatazz269]

If you want historical facts, watch documentaries. If you’re not comfortable with creative license, then you shouldn’t watch fiction. This isn’t new. There are dozens, possibly hundreds of “based on a true story” movies that have been made. Some are great, some are crap, but NONE tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. You can feel bad if it makes you feel better, but it makes you look like an idiot and a snowflake.

[Berethor]

Artistic license – history trope, it happen not only with woke films but woke films are shitty.

[Anonymous]

All they’re doing is giving black people positive historical stories to believe in because they have no real ones.

[loveslongnails]

It's not just Hollywood. Have you read a school textbook published between 1930 and 2010?

[findacure4wokeness]

Few Black people blame their own kind.

[MrTaboo]

All the time, ruins movies and shows