The Dovekeepers (2015)

Awesome Movie

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

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.

This show aired March 31 & April 1st, 2015 on CBS: Having an interest in history and all things pertaining to the Bible, I was at first surprised by the way this story came to be - through 2 women survivors. Yes the 2 night idea made for a slow pace but that was to introduce you more fully to the characters which it accomplished very well. We all know that all the people killed themselves so that was a given but Roma Downey managed to flesh out the story so that we cared for these people and what happened to them. Historically speaking I often wonder how the people of the Bible actually thought and lived since we are so removed from that perspective today. Speaking of the main character and her potions: these are all herbal remedies however I was not sure sometimes if they were not something else - this was upsetting as it mixed Godly worship with witchcraft (white witchcraft). Maybe they did that or maybe they did not historically speaking. And there was too much emphasis on passion taking precious minutes that could have been used for the story. And last but not least, what happened to the babies - one in the womb & one living & being carried at the end when they are telling their story..? Did this story actually get written down in a Roman Library by a Jew as seen in the show? Overall, I liked the show, the costumes, the actors. Cons: commercial time between breaks was so long I could watch parts of another show. Am looking forward to Roma Downey's next efforts this Easter Sunday.

I watched because my family members were watching. We had just finished watching a good show; and I wanted to continue engaging in social time.I stopped watching part 1 about 5 minutes from the end. It may have had some kind of story and it seemed like other than the story being told was important to the Romans for posterity; I'm not sure why? This Romance Novel even went as far to tell the audience their formula; when the Roman tells them, "I use my head to think not my heart". So, men use their head and women use their heart. Seriously, pen to paper for this story back in this time frame? Moreover, typing on a keyboard today for this twaddle? Women in bright outfits, like jewels in the desert. Handsome strapping men. Throw some magic/witchcraft in. I'm not sure if there were any Zombies in part two, they did have a ghost from the grave in part one. They had the money, time, and everything else; so my conclusion is best summed up by Forest Gump, "Stupid is as stupid does."

I have suffered through about 15 minutes of this show. It is so wrong on so many levels. Red heads in the Middle East 2000 years ago? Ninja rebels? Looks like it was filmed in Southern California with folks off the street.It is a cleanly swept Jerusalem that looks more like Disney's idea of the Holy Land. The dialog is stiff and forced. Some of the scenes sound more like therapy sessions that plot instruments.Yes, I know. It's a fictionalized version of Masada. But it is so fictionalized as to be silly and boring at the same time. But it is so pretty. Lots of lovely colors particularly in the freshly scrubbed laundry worn by the oppressed peoples.Just a couple of nights ago we had to endure Killing Jesus, probably the lamest retelling of the Gospel ever. This is not as bad simply because it couldn't be. But for anyone with even half a brain who knows anything about that historical period, the people of the times, and the story of the Jewish Rebellion, this is as close to reality as Friends is to Schindler's List.