WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
“War is cruelty. There is no use trying to reform it. The crueler it is, the sooner it will be over” -William Tecumseh Sherman. A foreboding, ominous statement made by one of the Civil War’s most successful, well-respected, and oft criticized generals of the Union Army with his “scorched earth” stratagem while invading the South. But it is a statement that bears witness to a time of horrible deeds done to others while the spectre of war still hung heavy in the air. It is 1865, and with their father and brother lost to the conflict, sisters Augusta (Brit Marling) and Louise (Hailee Steinfeld), along with their house slave Mad (Muna Otaru), live an isolated life in the family’s home.
The younger Louise, restless and rebellious in attitude, still makes attempts to be living the pre-war life she remembers, while the elder sister Augusta and Mad toil day in day out to keep them all surviving on rations and home-grown vegetables they cultivate, all while holding inside the pain of loss they’ve all experienced. But when a incident befalls Louise, it prompts August to seek out assistance, only to ultimately catch the eye of two rogue Union soldiers, Moses (Sam Worthington) and Henry (Kyle Soller), already established as having no qualms about being as ruthless as they desire to be. And when the eventual cat and mouse game begins, the women must choose to fight for themselves and their home against these ill-willed invaders.
Next, my Mind:
Director Daniel Barber, in only his second full-length feature effort, and writer Julia Hart, in her first writing project, waste no time substantiating the phrase “war is hell” for “The Keeping Room”. From the film’s very first sequence to the harrowing events that proceed it, make no mistake that it is a scary reality the depths men can sink to in times of chaos. The effectiveness of demonstrating this visually here is both brutal and gut-wrenching when one puts themselves in the shoes of these three Southern women whose lives have been completely shattered and turned upside down by the war. And the lengths they must go to simply to get by showcases their toughness, but also their vulnerabilities as well.
Brit Marling is a completely gem is this effort, providing that stalwart, unwavering female presence as Augusta, whose own emotional baggage is shown only in a deeply moving moment while comforting Louise. Making a stand to defend her home and family, Marling’s portrayal and emotive acting elevates the character quite nicely. Same can be said for the radiant Steinfeld, who really impresses this reviewer more and more as her roles demand a certain level of maturity that she enacts beyond her years. And the trauma Louise endures over the course of the story is equally harsh to see while completely creating empathy. Otaru also shines as Mad, still somewhat suppressed by her status as a slave until the time comes where she is forced to step up and beyond the trials she has faced and stand firmly beside the sisters.
Add in Worthington and Soller as the vicious, remorseless, yet altogether flawed and damaged soldiers and what we get is a taut, intense, earnest drama that serves to illustrate the best and worst of humanity in extreme situations and the lengths we’ll go to to survive.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
