Alex Garland crafts a visually dense and emotionally tense thriller centered on the lives of 4 journalists as they wrestle with their roles in covering the war of the century.
Civil War
Directed by Alex Garland
Starring Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley, Nick Offerman, Jesse Plemons
Runtime: 1 hour, 49 mins
Synopsis
As a second American Civil War nears its final days, two journalists, Lee and Joel (Dunst and Moura), aim to question the sitting president (Offerman) before he is either captured or killed by rebel military forces. However, getting to D.C. is extremely dangerous and isn’t made any easier by the addition of veteran reporter Sammy (McKinley) and young, inexperienced newcomer Jessie (Spaeny).
Light on Poli-Sci
For those worried or hoping this movie would be a direct reflection of our current political issues, you’re going to walk away disappointed. That doesn’t mean some of those threads aren’t apparent, you can definitely see this when various factions are talked about, but none of them are fleshed out neatly.
If you watched the trailer for this film, you’ll know there’s a Western Front led by Californian and Texan military forces and a smaller faction out of Florida, all advancing against the White House’s Loyalty Forces. I remember some folks commenting online that Cali’s inclusion with those two states seemed improbable (the entire state of California is redder than you think, just think back to previous Republican governors). However, none of our preconceptions on state makeup or party affiliation actually matter because the film isn’t interested in fleshing those out.
Credit: A24
Don’t get me wrong, I was certainly expecting that there would be a mixture of different political ideologies represented by their factions or forces in the film, but Garland sidesteps that conversation by focusing on the journalists and a few individual soldier encounters. By doing this, you will be left wondering which faction might represent your interests, forcing you to process how did you come to that conclusion. If you project any of our recent presidents onto Nick Offerman’s president serving his third term, you’re also left wondering just what triggered them to take a third term, was that the inciting moment that led to succession? Or was it possibly targeting civilians, as Sammy briefly mentions but is never explored?
Credit: A24
Again, this lack of clarification could definitely frustrate you, but the lack of depth was clearly intentional so audiences could wrestle and sit with different feelings. And I suspect the painful imagery and savagery displayed by various humans will leave us with plenty to talk about.
Staring Into the Abyss of Apathy
What is advertised as a film about the deterioration of the American Union into all-out conflict is actually more concerned about the journalists who would inevitably cover such an event. Lee (Dunst) and Joel (Moura) are the primary drivers of the plot as they want to reach Washington D.C. before the Western forces do and secure the interview of the century. However, we’re warned how dangerous this undertaking is, and we’re frequently shown why. In the first scene, Lee is nearly killed by a suicide bomber in her first encounter with Jessie (Spaeny), and the action only gets more tense from that moment.
Garland showcases a complicated journalistic conflict and desire among all four characters, between the questions they should ask the president should they meet him, the dynamics of photographing a warzone as citizens are dying left and right, and their disillusionment with the entire process. Each character struggles with their allure to the chaos, almost like they can’t help but be drawn in further to the conflict, but Lee and Jessie showcase this dynamic the best.
Credit: A24
Lee has already been an accomplished photographer before the events of the movie, which Jessie idolizes, but the work she did to reach that pinnacle has hardened her. That edge keeps herself and other people alive throughout the film, but the cost is that she struggles to relate or connect. Kirsten Dunst wouldn’t have been my first pick for this role, but my god does she nail this dichotomy well. It would have been too easy to hold a sullen tone with this character, but Dunst oscillates perfectly between confidence, being downtrodden, to completely depressed and apathetic, which ends up dominating the last act.
Jessie stands as Lee’s younger, blameless, and sinless mirror, which gives Lee all the more reason to chafe at working together. Lee is well aware of what they are walking into from a physical danger standpoint, but she also fears what this will do to Jessie’s psyche. Lee was already in her shoes and since she’s questioning her continued role, she’s weary of pouring more time and attention into someone, setting them up for future grief. As Jessie’s journey and career starts at the decline of American civilization, Garland seems to be asking the question, “is it worth telling the world these stories if you lose your soul in the process?” By the end, I’m not sure what the answer is…but there’s a strong chance that Jessie ends up just as apathetic as Lee, and that thought will linger with me long after the credits have rolled.
Haunting American Iconography
If you read a synopsis for a Civil War film set in modern-day America, you would probably suspect tons of destruction porn, but you’d be dead wrong.
Instead, this film is firmly grounded in set pieces that feel familiar but have been perverted or corrupted by war: the quintessential Mid-Atlantic suburban town that’s avoided the fray but houses snipers on the roof, a traffic jam on the interstate comprised of bombed-out cars, armed service members bodies treated with reckless abandon and callousness, and a small town farm that’s become a mass grave site. All of these scenes and others like them connect to create a sinking feeling of what the nation has become, what the actual cost of such a war would be, and who would it actually hurt.
Credit: A24
These scenes are haunting, not simply because of what they represent, but due to how visually full and centered they are. Probably the best example of this comes later in the film, after a key character death, as our protagonists drive through a road covered in cinder and smoke. Each character is bathed in amber light as they are processing what they just went through, and cinematographer Rob Hardy gives each of them a sustained close-up that lets us read every thought, every cry they are holding back, or every scream that escapes their mouth.
Hardy’s eye lingers on many of these scenes or moments, refusing to let the moment pass until he’s sure we’ve taken away the visual message. When these beautiful shots are paired with the terrifying implications of Garland’s script, these moments come together and stick in your gut, refusing to go anywhere.
Conclusion / Recommendation
No, it’s not MAGA vs Antifa, Left vs Right, nor any other permutation that you can currently think of. Civil War instead acts as a defense of journalism, letting their viewpoint showcase why such a war would be devastating to our soul, why there are no winners on either side of that conflict, especially with the people risking their lives to showcase such an atrocity.
A24 is showcasing this film in as many IMAX and large format screens as possible and Hardy’s cinematography is definitely worth that trip and expense. While the movie isn’t focused on all-out battles or engagements most of the time, the action sequences are definitely worth the theater trip.
Score: 8.6 out of 10
- Thought Provoking- 8
- Garland’s script showcases that he still has a handle on conveying difficult and complicated ideas, and his growth as a director ties most of these moments together well. Some may be annoyed by the lack of political depth but that doesn’t distract from the message he wants to tell.
- Stunning Iconography- 9
- Cinematographer Rob Hardy crafts striking visuals across the numerous US set pieces that will stick in your brain long after the credits have rolled. There are a few CGI weak spots, but overall effective when used.
- Dunst’s performance- 9
- Her performance as Lee easily stands out among the four journalists and serves as a conduit for processing the generations of journalism at play, either in her older disillusioned state or her interactions with the younger, idealistic Jessie.
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