In the midst of a second US civil war, four journalists (Kirsten Dunst, Cailee Spaeny, Wagner Moura, Stephen McKinley Henderson) travel to Washington DC in the hopes of scoring an interview with the President (Nick Offerman). The only question is; will he still be President when they get there?
To say Alex Garland's Civil War is a cautionary tale seems almost like an understatement. For all we know, the horse may have already bolted, and this is simply a vision of the future. Pretty much any time you turn on the news these days you see something that could be the precursor to the events seen in the movie. But this isn't a piece of propaganda for any political side or ideology, even if Nick Offerman's President - who we don't get to see enough of - is mildly reminiscent of a certain controversial US political figure. Much like the central four protagonists the movie remains neutral. It's more of an examination of the chaos and the carnage that our own polarisation could bring about. Which is exactly why Civil War is so engaging.
Unlike most war movies, we're not seeing this conflict through a military lens. This is a civilian's view of war. That viewpoint - one of mere observers - brings forth feelings of powerlessness. Something all war reporters must feel on a regular basis; powerless to affect what goes on around them, beyond showing people what they're seeing. In many ways this is more of a road trip movie than a war movie. Only instead of travelling from place to place, it can feel like jumping from one tragedy to another - watch out for Jesse Plemons' scary scene. And as much as I would have liked a little background on how this war came about, and the factions it has formed, the lack of it does add to the chaos. Whatever happened must have been bad if Texas and California were willing to join forces! Unsurprisingly, it can be difficult to tell either side apart, meaning almost everything we see lacks any sense of good or bad, success or failure. Making it all just seem tragic.
For all its hard-hitting imagery of war-torn America, Civil War still falls foul of some pretty common movie tropes. Seeing these tropes coming does dampen the shock factor somewhat with a little predictability. This is especially so of the intertwined arcs of Lee (Dunst) and Jessie (Spaeny), who might as well be wearing signs indicating their fates around their necks. Thankfully however, the stellar performances of the four leads combined with the authenticity of their characters' growing camaraderie make it so you can't help being drawn into their journey.
Garland brilliantly recreates that fascinatingly abstract world in which war reporters exist - a slight removal from society. There's even a fun rivalry between the print and TV journalists. When Lee and her friends leave their vehicle they are forced to behave in a cold, almost inhuman way, sometimes even going to insane lengths, in order to capture the horrors of war for all the world to see. It's a real credit to their performances that we are able to appreciate the effects of such a career. Maintaining a degree of neutrality and over-exposure to horrific events leading to this incredible desensitisation, all of which can become almost addictive. It's something Moura plays very well in 'Joel', a man who loves what he does even if it has messed him up a bit. Despite all this, Civil War does leave you with some vague understanding of why these guys do what they do.
A cautionary tale, one that is both gripping and horrifying. Instead of taking sides, it salutes those who choose to document and record the human race at its most inhuman. Civil War simply shows us where we could end up if we keep going down this increasingly extreme and polarised path.
9/10
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