Civil War is bravura filmmaking with humanity at its core
Alex Garland directed Ex Machina in 2014, Annihilation in 2018, Men in 2022, and now, Civil War. That’s four definite or near masterpieces, in my humble opinion. Each film in his directorial oeuvre has served as a cinematic discussion about the impact an ever-changing issue has had on humanity, sometimes overt and other times metaphorical: artificial intelligence, environmental degradation, toxic masculinity, and now, divisive American political idealism. It would be easy to criticize Civil War as “teaching us nothing new,” but that would be missing the point. The film is not intended to be a blaring warning siren. Instead, Civil War is a disturbing sensory vision of the future, featuring a distinct set of strong characters to help ground its grand-scale and daring filmmaking, meant to elicit a potent sense of current anxieties.
Civil War takes place in a dystopian (near) future where the United States is engaged in a bloody civil war between the Western Forces, composed of militaries from California and Texas, rebelling against an authoritarian government in Washington D.C. that has been in power for over a decade. A photojournalist, Lee (Kirsten Dunst), and her long-time journalist partner, Joel (Wagner Moura), are covering violent protests in New York City when the tides of war compel them to drive to Washington D.C. with the hopes of finagling an interview with the President (Nick Offerman). An aging journalist, Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson), and a young aspiring photojournalist, Jessie (Cailee Spaeny), join in the journey in order to get closer to the front lines. The details of how the nation arrived at this warring juncture, and which states are fighting for which faction, is a little messy, but that seems purposeful. Not only is Garland the latest British director to tackle American socio-economic issues (Sam Mendes, Christopher Nolan, etc.), but his aims seem more visual than instructive. Civil War follows the foursome of diverse, press-credentialled individuals as they navigate horrors, explosive skirmishes, and a combination of intended and unintended stops along the road to the war-torn capital.
Coming off a stellar performance in Priscilla, Spaeny delivers a strong central performance as a novice photographer learning the ropes in the most dire and dangerous circumstances. Dunst gives a stoic, experienced performance, with opportunities to explore an emotional deterioration as the film progresses. The duo are wonderful together, and the ever-reliable character actor Henderson is a delightful addition in a well-deserved larger role than he’s normally given. Moura, however, most known for his iconic performance as Pablo Escobar in the Netflix series, Narcos, gives the standout performance. He is sensational. Joel is subtly the heartbeat of the story. His reactions to atrocities, alongside his sensitive understanding of Jessie’s professional plight, feel the most prescient. Oh, and there’s also a five minute sequence in the middle of the film featuring a villainous Jesse Plemons that’s one of the most terrifying scenes in recent memory.
Civil War is not as cerebral as Garland’s previous films. Nor is it as small-scale. The tremendous action set pieces and beautiful (though unsettling) imagery has mainstream audiences in mind, even if the subject matter is mature. The film is exhilarating in a unique manner that invites you to enjoy the gripping spectacle, but you can also think deeply about what you’re seeing if you choose to. The film intentionally allows the audience to reflect on how sensationalized journalism has become, despite the tremendous lengths journalists go to in order to best capture and expose real-world horrors. Garland chooses to deploy a familiar movie tactic of cutting to a still image of the photos captured by Lee and Jessie in the moment, timed to the clicks of the shutters. It’s an intelligent artistic choice, since we witness entire scenes unfold, often bloody and horrific, yet the photographs distill full emotional sequences into a single frame. Consider this intention when thinking about what Civil War aims to accomplish in these turbulent times.
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Civil War opens in theaters on Friday, April 12th.
