The Red Tent: DVD Review
Our good friend Lety Gallegos (GoneWithTheWords.com) is at it again and gives you her thoughts about the DVD “The Red Tent”.
Based on the New York Times best-selling novel, THE RED TENT chronicles the biblical story of Dinah, the only daughter of Leah and Jacob. When she disobeys her family and hastily marries an Egyptian prince, her defiance spurs a battle that results in devastating consequences.
THE RED TENT differs dramatically from the well-known biblical story, focusing on Dinah, the only daughter of Leah and Jacob, who is mentioned only briefly in the Book of Genesis. This miniseries tells a story with wide cross-generational appeal that celebrates mothers and daughters, portrays ancient womanhood, and shows the camaraderie and empowerment they gain from each other.
The Show:
The Red Tent is a television mini-series based on Anita Diamant’s historical fiction novel of the same name, which originally aired on the Lifetime Network. The mini-series contains two parts and is roughly altogether about three hours long. It is loosely based on Dinah’s story, briefly mentioned in the Book of Genesis, chapter 34. The biblical story of Dinah is elaborated in this series and she narrates her life as she grows up in the time of the Old Testament. The work is completely fiction, and some of the actual details mentioned in Genesis 34 have been changed and romanticized with an added feminist twist.
The title of the book and series refers to the red tent that the women would retreat to during their menstrual cycle, or when giving birth. Men were not allowed in the tent and while inside their private escape, the women worshipped Inanna (Pagan Goddess) in secret, performed rituals, bonded through storytelling, and conversed about things that could only be discussed among women. The red tent seems to have only been created as a plot device and from what I researched, is not something that actually existed in those times.
Dinah (Rebecca Ferguson) is the only daughter of Leah (Minnie Driver) and Jacob (Iain Glen). As it happens Jacob has four wives, one of which is Leah’s sister, Rachel (Morena Baccarin). Between the four, they bore him eleven sons and one daughter, Dinah. The first part of this series tells the tale of Jacob and how he came to have two wives and the rest of his immense family. Due to an altercation with Leah and Rachel’s father, Jacob is forced to relocate his family from the only place they have ever known. He travels to meet up with his estranged brother, Esau and his mother. From there, they travel to Shechem where the king has given them lands they can work and live on. In Shechem, Dinah encounters a handsome gentleman that she quickly falls for, and from that point on chaos ensues. Dinah is a very strong-headed woman who takes charge of her own life and makes her own decisions. She is bold and passionate, as she is both Leah and Rachel’s daughter and they are strong women in their own right. The second part of this mini-series is the darker half of this story, but is also filled with hope and healing. I did not expect to be so emotionally taken by this series, but it was filled with emotion and heartbreak and I couldn’t help but get swept up in Dinah’s emotional story.
My likes: When I first saw the commercials for this television mini-series, I confess that the biblical aspect turned me off to wanting to watch it. I am not a very religious person and watching movies or television shows based on the bible is not something that appeals to me. I was pleasantly surprised by this mini-series, there is little to no talk of religion and instead shows us a tale of love, betrayal, loss, heartbreak, vengeance, hope and the strength of women. There is a very strong underlying tale of feminism and how the bonds of friendship, and women’s love can be all-encompassing and healing. It really depicts the power of women and I was really captivated by it. I definitely enjoyed this more than I thought I would. In the original biblical story of Dinah, there is mention of a rape and I was really glad that was not part of this story. All in all, I am really happy I saw this and would recommend it to anyone in the mood for an emotional historical drama.
My Dislikes: I did not have any obvious issues with this mini-series, but anyone going into it thinking it’s going to be a heavily biblical-based depiction will be disappointed. The author took a lot of liberties with the story since there wasn’t a lot to go on. I’d also point out that this series isn’t rated, but due to the graphic and sexual content, it is really for a more mature audience.
