By Kimberly Grant
This is the scariest and most interesting movie I’ve seen in a long time.
Civil War will be in theaters on April 12.
Never In My Country
Written and directed by Alex Garland, who wrote Ex Machina, Annihilation, and 28 Days Later, Civil War takes the audience on a journey of a lifetime. Told through the lens and perspective of military-embedded journalists, the story starts in the near future. The United States is divided, its leadership has gone rogue, and the country is in the thick of a civil war. There are three major sides to this war: 1) the president (played by Nick Offerman) and his administration, 2) the Florida Alliance, and 3) the Western Forces of Texas and California. The last two are rebel factions who think the president isn’t doing a good job of running the country.
In the middle of this entire fiasco are four journalists who are trekking from New York City to Washington, DC to interview the president. During this time period, their journey is considered a suicide mission. The journalists, Lee (Kirsten Dunst), Joel (Wagner Moura of Narcos fame), Jessie (Cailee Spaeny of Priscilla fame), and Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson), are mostly professionals who have a background in covering war abroad. Their experience only half prepares them for what they encounter in their home country.
Imagine witnessing the inhumanity of war in another country and thinking it would never happen at home. Then, seeing that same inhumanity in your own backyard. And that same inhumanity is directed at your colleagues who just happen to be journalists from another country. At this point, you’re probably thinking this film must be a cautionary tale. It is. Unchecked and absolute power corrupts; which is why we have checks and balances in our democracy. Those who do not know their history are doomed to repeat it; which is why history classes that give the entire story are so important.
Those Who Don’t Know Their History
Civil War isn’t just about the future. It applies to the present and the fact that society still has an opportunity to make things right. Here’s the part where I make my plea for everyone to exercise their right to vote. We can’t stick our heads in the sand this election year. Research perspective candidates and ballot issues, then vote your conscious.
That said, let’s get back to the movie. There are brief instances that are of note. There are moments between the violence where the characters find ways to experience some form of joy and normalcy. Like all good journalism, you don’t totally know what the journalists think about the three sides of the war. The story doesn’t totally tell you which side to root for, either. The only (small) indication of sides is when Sammy talks about the president’s three terms (!), his disbandment of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the president’s total distrust of the news media. Sound familiar?
There’s even a storming of the White House in this film that is completely reminiscent of when a former president incited individuals to storm the Capital and stage a coup. That was a sad day for democracy and something the American people never thought to see in their land. Yes, Civil War is definitely a cautionary tale. Even though it’s tough to pick a side in the film, because no one is wholly right or wrong. Everyone does their own bad things that contribute to what this film is about: the people who suffer because of bad leadership.
Conversation Piece
Dunst gives an intricate performance as a veteran war photographer who would take a good photo of anything; including the suffering for mankind. In her mind, she’s telling the story so that the people can get a full picture (so to speak) of what is happening and form their own opinions. Moura is another veteran war journalist who copes with the stress of the job by taking as much pleasure as he can, when he can. He represents the people who must compartmentalize their work in order to function.
Henderson plays a journalist who should have retired. His idea of journalism represents the old guard. There’s nothing wrong with the old guard. Journalism has always been about stating the facts and letting the people decide how they feel. Henderson’s Sammy is also the voice of reason. Lastly, there’s Spaeny’s Jessie. Jessie is a novice when it comes to being a war photographer. Her naivete brings a layer of innocence and youthful exuberance to the story. Jessie is green and she wants to be just like Lee. Unfortunately, her hubris as a youth can be detrimental to herself and those around her.
Scary Because It Could Happen
No matter what side of the aisle you have chosen to put on your voter’s registration card, no one deserves to suffer the atrocities of war. It’s ugly. No one really wins. Garland’s Civil War hits all the notes that it needs to turn the camera away from fiction and cast an unflinching look at who we are as a society. From righteous causes that do more harm than good to extreme patriotism, Civil War makes the case that the United States needs to come to some compromise. Because a house divided will not stand.
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Read K. A. Grant’s Entertainment Blog here.
