The Dovekeepers (2015)

Memorable, crazy movie

For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

I saw the movie then read the book. Not the same. In the movie Shirah lives she is still pregnant when found by Roman soldiers. In the book she gives birth to her daughter and gives the baby to Yael. Her lover and father of her baby slits her throat and then kills him self. Yael in the book says at the end when found by Roman soldiers says she is Shirah. Was disappointed that more of the history that is told in the book wasn't mentioned in the movie. There is a lot of history here. A lot of terrible things happened to the Jewish people. I went to Isreal in 2007 and went up to Masada and visited Herod's fortress. Knowing something about the history helped in understanding the story. The book was a little confusing at times, but it was more interesting because of the history mentioned.

Despite all the bad comments on this film, I think it was excellent. I haven't read the book and it inspired me to order the book. Many complaints about the Masada but nobody actually knew how it look liked 2000 thousand years ago. I think this leaves you with a beautiful imagination to how it really was, and you can think of this film after-wards with more violence and more brutal suffering and more sex and more drama. Today all over the world we are still struggling with immigrants, Xenophobia, and Isis. The craving for power never stopped. This was a good summary of a bad tragedy that we are seeing on the news today. Very well played in a mannered way. Vibrant colors and scenery throughout the film. Good Story in general. And most certainly a DVD that I would own and watch again when I need to be inspired.

I was expecting so much more, though I knew nothing of the novel so I really had no idea what to expect. But after watching the first two episodes of A.D. from the same producers, it was a little jarring to watch a sexed-up desert soap opera with barely a token hint of the Jewish faith actually expressed, where all the heroines are sleeping with other women's husbands or mixing potions or killing Romans ("As the World Burns" ... "One Life to End" ... "All My Illegitimate Children" ... take your pick). The modern language was an unnecessary annoyance, and the insertion of a 21st-Century Western Liberal female perspective was noticeable throughout. (The women's perspective was the core of the story, of course. But it came across a little too "today" for me.) Particularly disturbing was the adulterous witch successfully invoking the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob by name to call down rain and save herself from a mob execution so she could continue her affair with another woman's husband. I don't think so. I recorded this and watched it over two nights while I did my taxes. One form of torture mitigating the other, I guess. Which one was which, I'm not sure at the moment.

This was trash. I only watched the first night. I kept thinking this must get better. Nope. I should have given up on it improving. The message night one sends was that it is okay to have sex with married men. I couldn't even figure out what the main plot of the movie was supposed to be about.I also didn't understand the supernatural aspect. Where these just dreams or a guilty conscious.I have not read the book. One review said the movie does not reflect the book. I would like to hear from others that have read the book. I would be tempted to give the book a try.