The Keeping Room

(Daniel Barber/2014/USA)

During the US Civil War a General Sherman employed a campaign of terror and “total war” against civilian infrastructure that could be considered beneficial to the confederate army – railroads, mills, factories etc. The March to the Sea by the Union army employed “bummers” to scout ahead of the advancing army foraging and looting supplies. Daniel Barber uses this historical event to frame his film which is essentially a home invasion flick. He does the truth an injustice though as it is widely documented that the campaign, which psychologically succeeded in breaking the confederacy and their supporters and resulted in the end of the war, was conducted generally in a disciplined and controlled way. The two bummers on display here then could be taken to be an extreme exception rather than a rule for what happened but that’s just my bug bear with historical misrepresentations. Perish the thought that historical accuracy could get in the way of a good yarn. The film itself is wonderfully shot in darkened, stark tones and the sense of calm of the countryside being encroached upon and destroyed by the advancing terror of Sam Worthington and Kyle Soller’s bummers is ever present. 

Having rode off from their arrival and subsequent slaughter at a neighbouring farm Augusta (Brit Marling) battens down the hatches on the house she shares with her younger sister, Louise, and their female slave, Mad. The three women are forced to defend themselves from the attack of the two nasty yolks and what plays out is a brutal battle of the sexes. There are fine performances all round and as I said it is a good looking film but the script let’s it down; unevenly paced at times with some unnecessary sub plotting its repeated breaking of the tension gets a little wearing. Having expended the time to build the atmosphere and characters it becomes predictable at the finish as just another home invasion movie with the threat of violence from men towards vulnerable women the crux of the drama. Perfectly watchable, at times gripping but ultimately a bit disappointing.

(2.5/5)