Part 5/9:
In response to criticism, director Gina Prince-Bythewood and Viola Davis attempted to clarify the film’s historical stance. They argued that The Woman King is a form of entertainment that "takes license" with history—an "alternate history" rather than a documentary. They contended that the film’s primary goal was to inspire and entertain, even if it meant distorting certain facts.
Supporters of the film pointed out that the depiction of Dahomey as primarily a heroic society overlooks its complex and brutal past, including its involvement in slave trading. They suggest that, if the story is framed as "based on true events," it must be scrutinized more critically, as some promotional material had promoted the film as a genuine recounting of history.