The Keeping Room

During the Carolinas Campaign near the bitter end of the Civil War in spring, 1865, two sisters & a former slave (Brit Marling, Hailee Steinfeld & Muna Otaru) have been waiting out the war at their rural homestead. A couple of Yankee cutthroats enter the picture and they have to use their wits to survive.

A slowburn Western that takes place in the East, "The Keeping Room" (2014) has sparse settings, but a competent cast, proficient filmmaking and a realistic, grim tone. Similar movies include "Pharaoh's Army" (1995) and "Echoes of War" (2015). "War Flowers" (2012) is another one but, unlike that flick, "The Keeping Room" features top-of-the-line filmmaking for a modest-budget picture.

The film runs 1 hour, 35 minutes, and was shot in Poienari, Arges County, Romania.

GRADE: B+

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.

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 like this movie and i'm surprised some feel differently towards it. It was cool to see the war coming from a woman's perspective and show the horrors of the woman trying to defend their home and themselves.

It showed how at the end of the Civil War that it was violent and it also showed women didn't have much respect. We noticed that it showed not only the woman's perspective but the man's as well.

Many could say they view this movie differently 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 as to get an insight on the different perspectives of the Civil War.