I’ve never been a fan of watching movies about war. I find them terribly depressing, and yet I found myself drawn to Civil War. I think it’s because the story is not about the atrocities of a former war where the main protagonists are military personnel. Instead, this is a cautionary tale about a fictional war as seen through the eyes of civilians.
Chillingly, Civil War is set in a possibly near-future where the American states are no longer united. The Western Forces is an alliance between Texas and California shaking their collective fists at the federal government with a goal of taking over the White House forcing the capitol to surrender.
It’s ironic that a London-based filmmaker would be the one inspired to write and direct a movie about a modern-day civil war in America. Maybe from a distance, director and writer Alex Garland has a different point of view about just how bad the state of America is in these days. Known for his previous films, 28 Days Later and Annihilation, Civil War offers another sobering tale.
In the very first scenes, the president of the United States (Nick Offerman) is shown preparing for one of his many televised speeches about the progress that has been done to stop the many attacks around the country. He seems somewhat nervous as he recites his speech to reassure the people watching on their TV screens. As he continues, his voice grows stronger, and he becomes surer of himself. But will the American people buy it?
The story shifts to two people of the press capturing the events of the day. Lee (Kirsten Dunst) is a jaded, career combat photographer. From her first scene to the last, Lee looks like a woman who has seen it all and has very little hope for the future. She’s tired and burned out. Her photography is all she has left.
“Every time I survived a war zone, I thought I was sending a warning home: Don’t do this,” she laments “But here we are.”
Lee’s chain-smoking partner, Joel (Wagner Moura) wants nothing more than to get a statement from the president of the United States. Although he comes off pretty jovial compared to Lee, his affection for cigarettes and alcohol speaks otherwise. He’s just as torn up inside as she is, but he hides it behind a smile and sarcastic wit.
While staying at a hotel that is filled with other reporters and photojournalists, the two are approached by Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson), an older and overweight reporter they know who is past his prime wanting to catch a ride with them to Washington D.C. He’s clearly out of shape with bad knees still wanting to be a part of a young man’s game. Lee leaves the decision for Joel to make while she is confronted by Jessie (Cailee Spaney), a naïve photographer who has been inspired by Lee’s work. Lee tries to talk the young woman out of it, but to no avail.
The next morning, the four of them become a ragtag group driving in a while van with the word “press” hastily painted on the side. They stop at various locations to capture the action and violence happening around them. Not wanting to be responsible for what might happen with Jessie on board with the dangers that lie ahead of them, Lee finds herself drawn to the young woman who clearly reminds her of herself in her younger days and becomes a mentor of sorts. In one of the quiet moments of the movie, Lee looks over at one of Jessie’s photos capturing an attack and says, “That is a really great picture” encouraging the budding photographer as if the picture was of a bunch of flowers on a hillside. Weirdly, like many professional photos from an active war zone, Civil War offers some amazing visuals. One scene taken place at night features the burning of a forest area that is actually quite beautiful.
Civil War is more disturbing than the worst horror movie that I’ve ever seen, and it shares a lot of similar traits as one. It features numerous jump scares and shocking imagery. If you see it at an IMAX-equipped theater like I did, your heart with skip a beat when the surprise booms of gunfire go off and continue through the rest of the film with a feeling of dread. It is a well-crafted movie that will stick with you. It feels terribly realistic with believable characters. Dunst is amazing. It is one that I’ll never forget and one that I won’t ever feel the need to see again. It left me shaken for a couple hours after viewing it. I didn’t know if I would be able to sleep that night.
While clearly a commentary on the state of our divided nation, there isn’t really a political message here. Cleverly, there is no explanation as to why this civil war has come about. As an audience, we don’t know who’s fighting who. There are no mention of democrats, republicans or religious zealots. Just a lot of angry people fighting for their own version of what it means to be an American. In fact, in a gripping scene, a red-haired Jesse Plemons with a creepy smile holds a shotgun to the faces of our heroes as he questions them, “What kind of American are you?” In another scene, the group finds a couple of snipers firing at an unseen enemy. When Joel asks who they are shooting at, they respond with that they are just shooting back at some people shooting at them. It just doesn’t make sense. And that’s the point.
All images: Cailee Spaney and Kirsten Dunst (A24)
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