Chronicles in film

Alex Garland’s dystopian thriller Civil War could be considered a ‘What If,…‘ fantasy, but in reality, it is chillingly closer to home than we would like it to be.

Released in a year of an American presidential election, Congress seems to be more interested in what’s happening outside their country than the problems that are occurring on their own doorstep. This once-great nation has been divided before by ‘war’; could war break out again?

The film stars Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Stephen McKinley-Henderson, and Cailee Spaeny. In Civil War, we find ourselves in a near dystopian future where the U.S.A. finds itself amidst a second ‘civil war.’ The current president (played by Nick Offerman) is in his third term in power and finds himself up against Texas and California. His power is crumbling around him, and it’s only a matter of time before battle arrives in Capitol Hill.

Lee (Dunst) is a renowned photojournalist who has witnessed some of the world’s worst atrocities. She has seen war in all its ugly guises and is on the road heading to Washington D.C. in the hope of getting that last photograph of the President. On the road, she is joined by Joel (Moura), who wants that last interview, veteran Sammy (McKinley-Henderson), and Jesse (Spaeny), a young wannabe photojournalist whom Lee happens to idolize. Will they all get to D.C. before it’s too late?

Is Civil War a political/war film? No. It’s more of a road movie that takes place in a war setting. Alex Garland has deliberately left the film open to interpretation for the viewer. It premiered a few weeks before landing in UK cinemas, and opinions have been divided. Politically, many accuse the film of leaning both left and right wing. Many point out that Nick Offerman‘s portrayal of the president in the opening scene, struggling to deliver a speech, reminds them of Joe Biden, while others even say he’s reminiscent of Donald Trump. Setting the film in the near future benefits it, giving it an unsettling tone.

The FBI is disbanded, and a president has overstayed his welcome in the Oval Office to the point where he’s actually a dictator. Regardless of what side of the political fence you may sit on, you don’t wage war on your people. We see this in the opening montage of violence and police unleashing brutality. I think we can say the POTUS could be called a dictator.

Civil War is a road movie about journalism and those who are always on the frontline of conflict. Regardless of what you think of them, they are our eyes and ears with their articles, stories, and photographs. Lee tells Jesse that when it comes to what they do, leave the moral compass aside and look at their actions. The sacrifices and logistical challenges journalists face are highlighted here: car sharing, sleeping in cars, regardless of whom they work for. Journalists do put themselves in the heart of danger, and as Sammy says, they are targets just as much as the soldiers.

We do get several scenes that remind us how fragile and dangerous things can be. The winter wonderland scene shows how things can change in a heartbeat, and they become targets of an unknown sniper. Jesse Plemons‘ question, “What type of American are you?” takes the film to disturbing, darker, and more sinister levels. Then things get completely bonkers when we arrive in Washington D.C. This is when those enjoying the road movie will be frustrated, and the fantasists looking for popcorn fodder will embrace it.

Civil War stays clear of the current election build-up. It has got people talking, maybe not always in support of the film. Is it an anti-war film? Possibly. It shows the two sides, neither as the good or bad guys, just the fragility of humanity. Journalists might be seen as unsentimental in war; when the lights go out, who will read their words or be shocked by their powerful photographs?

Civil War does feel like we’re watching two different films trying to burst out. It is an unflinching, realistic , hellish vision of ‘What if…’ The conxtetual side might be lacking, film is meant to immerse, show possibilites . Humananity has become so fragile, if we look closer, you’ll truly see who the really enemies really are.

★★★1/2