The Keeping Room

The American Civil War is a time period that's been told almost exclusively from the male perspective and has most often centered on Northerners (winners do write history), so to see a story about southern women enduring the brutality of the war's end is rather surprising. What makes it satisfying, and a truly excellent film, is how sharp the storytelling is. Writer Julia Hart uses the small story of three women, two sisters (Brit Marling and Hailee Steinfeld) and their young slave (Muna Otaru), to capture the massive effects the war had on the southern way of life, but never hits you over the head with its larger themes. Instead, it tells its story almost as a home- invasion thriller, with a slow-burning sense of dread filling every ounce of the runtime. Bleak, tense, and at times difficult to watch, The Keeping Room isn't fun, but you'll be happy you saw it.

I liked this movie and i am surprised that some feel differently towards it. It was very cool to see the war coming from a woman's perspective. It also showed the horrors that women faced trying to defend their homes.

It showed how at the end of the civil war how violent and it also showed that women were not respected at this point in history. We noticed that it showed not only the woman's perspective but also the man's.

Many could say they viewed the movie as controversial but i viewed it as showing how strong women were in this time period and to show the destruction the civil war caused.

I personally recommend this movie for learning purposes as well to get an insight on the different perspectives of the civil war.

The Keeping Room follows three women who are left alone on a plantation in the south near the end of the American Civil War. While these women are just trying to survive, they are put to the test when two rouge union soldiers. The result is an eerie, heartbreaking, and thought-provoking film about a group of people that we don't think about in history, women of the south. The film also does a good job of showing the dark side of the Union Army. Near the end of the war the union army had the attitude, "War is cruelty. There is no use trying to reform it. The crueler it is, the sooner it will be over. - William Tecumseh Sherman, Union Army General. Thus the burning and looting of southern plantations. While at the same time, this film doesn't glorify the confederacy. Instead, this film is about a small group of characters caught in a bad situation. Also, this film has some amazing performances from Hailee Steinfeld and Sam Worthington. I've always thought Sam Worthington is an underrated actor, and he is amazing as this film's villain. Hailee Steinfeld's performance simply fantasist. Even though she is only a kid, she is by far the best actor in this film, which goes to show just how talented she is. I wasn't as impressed with Brit Marling, but this could be because I found her character underwhelming. This movie isn't for everyone as there are some dark scenes. However, if you have the stomach for it, I'd recommend seeking it out.

A thinly plotted , mainly slow but often tense Civil War piece with three fine lead performances and a good rather different one from Sam Worthington. An interesting take on what happens when law breaks down in a soon to be defeated land.

Watched this without reading reviews and was pleasantly surprised. Acting is phenomenal, and the movie feels real to the 1865 era. All three lead female actresses were outstanding.