CIVIL WAR (2024)
What would it look like if the United States was suddenly in the middle of a civil war? Who would align with who? How would it start? Who would you side with? Nearly none of those questions will be answered in Alex Garland’s controversial film Civil War. In fact, only one of those answers is touched on and it is, “What would it look like?”.
Garland does not aim to make a statement with his newest film, instead he longs to give the journalistic perspective of the war being waged within our borders, the eyes on the ground. Those who are protected by the laws of the United States, or at least the laws of the former United States.
Picking up after what seems like years after the fighting has broken out, a team of journalists set out to infiltrate Washington, DC, a place where they supposedly shoot journalists on site, to interview the President of the United States. A man who is serving his third term and has no intention of stepping down. As the journalists venture closer to DC, they are forced to reckon with the factions who are currently battling it out across the nation and hopefully survive the trip without any losses or battle scars.
While advertised as a war movie, the core of the film centers around the human relationships that are forged and maintained while being put into dangerous and, at times, horrifying situations. Garland does not shy away from the horrors of war throughout the film. Exposing the audience to some of the most frightening atrocities that humans are capable of. An example being when a soldier, played brilliantly by Jesse Plemons in one the most unsettlingly torturous portrayals of a soldier in memory, begins to question the journalists about what kind of “American” they are and if they are “American” enough in his eyes. As disturbing as the scene is, it seems to be a fairly plausible portrayal should a civil escalation actually occur in our country.
While some will find fault that the trailers for the film somewhat muddled the actual plot of the film, it was a pleasant surprise to be treated to a more grounded and subdued story. There have been rumblings that the film didn’t “take a stance” and to that, I will argue that to did take a stance. It offers the side of war that is usually hidden from the film genre, the side of the innocent victims and those who are doing their best to show what is actually happening without taking a side.
Through brilliant direction and stunning cinematography, Civil War is a force of nature in it’s own right. Showing the grittiness and violence of war but also giving the audience hope that even in the worst of times, beauty can be found and cherished, even if it is just for a fleeting moment.
The film will not be for everyone and that is okay. After all, that is the beauty of cinema but to those who do enjoy it, it is sure to be a film they return to again and again, if not for anything other than the breathtaking imagery that is on display.
