The trailers for Civil War, the latest film from Alex GarlandGive the audience a very specific expectation what you will see. It looks like a movie about the United States, which is so politically divided that certain states have seceded and the country is at war. A scenario that is clear a fictional nightmare version our present, in which America’s left and right have turned to violence. And in a way Civil War That’s it. But it’s not that either, and that’s why It’s so damn fascinating and special.
Written and directed by Garland (Ex Machina, Annihilation), Civil War It is indeed about the United States, which is no longer united. The United States is at war with itself, hence the title. But one of the main combatants in this war are Western forces. a group consisting of California and Texas. Now everyone knows that California and Texas are perhaps the two most opposing states in our current political climate. So that’s the first clue Civil War is not a straight-up, pro-left, anti-right Hollywood fairy tale. It certainly has an agenda, and that agenda is certainly broader than not, but Garland makes it abundantly clear that his America is not our America. This allows them to enjoy the story easily and without prejudice, no matter who sees the film or what they believe.
In other words, the film is as objective as possible, which, not coincidentally, is also the main ideology of the film’s main characters: a group of journalists. Kirsten Dunst plays Lee, a famous war photographer who travels around the country with a fellow journalist named Joel, played by Wagner Moura. After documenting a horrific but all-too-common act of violence in New York, Lee and Joel decide to take a trip to Washington DC to attempt to interview the President, played by Nick Offerman. Colleague Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson) thinks it’s a bad idea but goes along with it anyway, and they also pick up Jessie (Cailee Spaeny), an aspiring photographer who sees Lee as a hero and mentor.
And so the four journalists leave New York for DC, which is normally an uneventful four or five hour drive. However, in this world where everything happens across the country, the journey becomes much longer and more tiring. Certain streets are closed. Other areas are not safe. And the group soon realizes whichever path they take: danger and terror lurk at every turn.
Civil War is Alex Garland’s most mature film to date. As he sends his characters on this road trip, you can almost sense that he’s not pushing the agenda one way or the other. An energy permeates the film, as if Garland wants to say something but is shaking and humming to hold it back. Just as the journalistic heroes continue to preach objectivity and the importance of reporting the facts, regardless of the circumstances, Garland unfolds his narrative accordingly. Lee, Joel and the crew approach every situation the same way: from a place of caring and kindness. Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn’t. The most dangerous things we see are often not in the center of the frame. A burning building here. A pile of corpses there. And while Joel and Lee’s dislike of the president certainly codes them as sympathetic to the WF, the film never actually says what the WF stands for. We ask ourselves: Is it more like Texas? Or more California?
That the film avoids ever defining the root of the conflict is one of the best things about the film. On the contrary, one of the worst things is that things can get a little repetitive as the characters travel from New York to DC. You ride, hit an obstacle, learn something and keep riding. Then they drive, encounter an obstacle, learn something and continue driving. The pattern repeats itself a few times, and although each of these obstacles unfolds in a different, usually surprising way, the film’s momentum falters because of this structure.
Where Civil War Nothing weakens is the portrayal of intensity. Whenever the heroes encounter one of these obstacles, be it a booby-trapped gas station, a hidden sniper, or a Jesse Plemons in pink sunglasses, the film’s tension is always turned up to 11. We’re rarely sure what’s going to happen and who’s doing it is will survive, largely because of this objectivity. No one is treated like a hero or villain at the beginning. Of course, this changes from scene to scene, but the film, like the journalists, gives everyone the same opportunity, which can be scary.
This can also lead you to question yourself, your biases, and more. Civil War is a film that challenges its audience to put themselves in the shoes of not just the main characters, but everyone else. This is partly because everything in the film seems so plausible that we see ourselves, our friends and our neighbors in it. But it’s also because the performances throughout are all so strong that it’s easy to make a connection.
It feels like it’s been forever since we’ve seen and watched Kirsten Dunst in a big, eye-catching lead role like this Civil War, you have no idea why. Dunst gives a nuanced, powerful performance as Lee, a veteran so confident that she’s almost carefree. Until she meets Jessie. In Jessie, Lee sees a younger version of herself and that scares her. Lee knows that Jessie, portrayed with a lot of raw emotion by Spaeny, is putting herself in danger. Choosing this life is probably the wrong thing for her. And so what should be a simple mentor-mentee relationship is always tense. Lee sees too much of himself in Jessie and Jessie doesn’t care.
Their complex relationship, as well as the seriousness conveyed by Moura’s Joel and McKinley Henderson’s Sammy, reaches its climax in the film’s final act when the team finally makes it to Washington. Garland then unfolds a full-throated, shocking ground war in the heart of the nation’s capital, with views of national monuments and more reminiscent of the 1996s independence Day. I don’t want to give away what happens in these scenes, but it all builds to a final few minutes that are destined to be discussed and quoted for as long as films exist. It’s so fantastic.
Ultimately, Civil War is a Rorschach test designed for maximum impact across all political ideologies. You can watch it and watch it as you like. Is it some kind of excuse not to take sides? Should the story have leaned a little more to the left or right? I would argue that there isn’t Is the authorship. Garland isn’t necessarily interested in changing anyone’s mind about anything. He wants everyone to think about themselves and think about what these differences could lead to in the end. And hey, if playing it in the middle helps more people see it, that’s just a bonus.
Civil War hits theaters on Friday.
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