Viola Davis’ big change to Woman King made it a much better movie

Viola Davis was left out of Best Actress when the Oscar nominees for 2023 were announced this January. This angered movie buffs and award pundits alike. Cate Blanchett was (Tár), Michelle Yeoh (Everything at Once), Ana de Armas (BlondeAndrea Riseborough (To LeslieMichelle Williams (Fabelmans) all gave noteworthy performances in 2022, Gina Prince-Bythewood’s The woman is the King was built on Davis’ back, leveraging her movie-star magnetism into a powerhouse physical performance. The movie is now No. 1 on Netflix, Davis’ snub feels even more frustrating. You can see that this actor is working at every level. It becomes clearer when you learn how the actors came together.

The woman is the KingDavis plays Nanisca the militant leader the Agojie. This all-female army protects the West African kingdom, Dahomey, with the same ferociousness as the Greek Spartans. Nanisca, a woman covered in scars from the past and haunted by its consequences, commands her soldiers with singular focus. Threats come at them from every angle — the violent Oyo Empire wants to overrun them at home, the Europeans want to control them from afar. The Agojie crack only when John Boyega, their King, begins to compromise and Thoso Mbedu emerges as a challenger to the standard.

Davis’ interpretation of Nanisca is calculating and cutthroat, much like her roles in Widows, FencesYou can also see the Suicide Squad films and The. PeacemakerAs Amanda Waller, the ride-or die TV character. But Nanisca draws power from her emotional core — she’s always human, even when she’s larger than life. Davis is a producer. The woman is the King as well as its lead, recruited Prince-Bythewood to helm the film after directing Netflix’s grounded superhero movie The Old GuardThe director ultimately required more from Davis than just an accurate historical performance. Davis, and her costars, had to also move like fighters.

“[Work on the film] started with me telling Viola and then all the other actors, ‘You’re going to be doing your own fighting and stunts,’” Prince-Bythewood told Polygon in a sweeping interview published at the time of release. “The training started months before, six days a week, two times a day. It was the hardest thing they’d ever done. This was part of their rehearsal, which helped them to develop character. It changes your outlook on yourself and the way that you move. They were athletes. They turned into warriors. They became warriors together, as they had to go through all the hell together. This is the kind of sisterhood we created [in training] showed up on screen.”

Image: Sony Pictures

Davis maintained the mental edge of Nanisca through all the effort. Nanisca traveled to the grave before they ever met. The woman is the KingThis is when we meet her again in the story. A key moment from her history comes back into focus as she retells it. Prince-Bythewood explained that Davis had written a notebook full of background information for her character during film development, which led to numerous rewrites. They began filming two days prior. The woman is the KingSouth Africa’s actor pointed out a key issue during her reflection on Nanisca. Although the screenplay portrays Nanisca as younger, Davis at that time was 56 and Davis wanted to continue the role as a 56 year old.

“And why not? She’s an aging warrior. At this stage in her life, you have to be open-minded about everything. What is the worth of what my body and mind go through? What can I do to make a difference in this kingdom?That was the ultimate goal. So she wanted to use that,” Prince-Bythewood said.

The alteration led to a scene in the film that was filmed early in the movie: A stricken Nanisca is cured in a Dahomey spa after a heated struggle. She is achy with pain. Prince-Bythewood moves around her, revealing a scarlet scabbing across her shoulder. The rest of the cast The woman is the King was told early on that, historically, the Agojie never demonstrated pain — and in the movie, they don’t show pain in public. In this moment of tenderness, Davis allows the militant act to slip by. Davis isn’t a superhuman.

“That’s the beautiful thing about Viola, she has no vanity,” Prince-Bythewood said. “[She’ll do] whatever is best for the character.”

Viola Davis was not included in the Oscars 2023. They’ll overlook great performances again. They’ll forget about great performances again. The woman is the King readily available on Netflix and beyond, there’s really no excuse for the rest of us. Nanisca is one prime example of an actor putting themselves into a character, literally or metaphorically.

Find out more The woman is the King, read Polygon’s interview with Gina Prince-Bythewood.