Alex Garland’s ‘CIVIL WAR’ Forces America To Look In The Mirror And Remind Us How Bad It Can Be

Most of the time a film depicts a war on American soil it has to do with an alien invasion, the American Revolution, or the Civil War of the 1860s. Alex Garland’s newest film Civil War presents the eerily realistic, not-so-distant future of America if tensions rise beyond civil discourse. Not only will this film be profusely discussed, but it will also be very divisive based on where audiences stand on their relationship with the current state of the United States. Garland, a British filmmaker, has created an American war film unlike any other that is sure to be heavily dissected and critiqued. No stranger to ‘end of times’ films, Garland wrote 28 Days Later, Ex Machina, and Annihilation with the same themes of survival, fear, and human spirit as his most recent entry to his resume.

Civil War sits heavy on your chest as it unravels the matter-of-fact consequences and actions of what a war in America would look like. Throughout the film, friends and foes are nearly undistinguishable as a group of military journalists make their way to the nation’s capital for answers and images from the President of the now-broken nation before it is too late. All journalists are assassinated on sight at the White House, making this a journey the pair is willing to risk their lives for. Veteran combat photographer Lee, played by Kirsten Dunst, leads the team with decades of experience and for the first time does not need to travel to the war, rather it has found her at home. She is struggling with this realization that America has resorted to internal conflict and her passion for the job has dwindled.

Amongst Dunst is a heavy-hitting cast with Cailee Spaeny (Jessie), Wagner Moura (Joel), and Stephen McKinley Henderson (Sammy). Each performance is executed with care and a complete understanding of the message of the film and the mysteriousness woven throughout. Choosing a certain performance that is better than the other proves difficult, yet Henderson delivers a range of emotions as the patriarch of the crew. The Dune and Lady Bird actor balances utter terror and tenderness with ease, showing why his career only continued to flourish over the last decade. This war film covers generations of journalists and a 23-year-old amateur photographer navigating a near-future America where the President has forced himself a third term, journalists are being killed, and America has separated into factions with full-force militaries at their disposal. On the motley crew’s way to D.C., Garland covers peaceful and combat zones with a slightly detached and tactical style. Though the characters are journalists, the film centers around “capturing images and quotes first and asking questions later.” With such a sensitive topic, the action sequences are ferocious, yet detached and clear. 

Garland is known for his aloofness in a film that aids him in giving a nearly unbiased opinion to his audiences, and Civil War follows suit. The film seems like it would be filled with politics, social justice messages, and clear lines in the sand of who is good and who is bad; however, politics and allegiances are nearly completely unknown to the audience or characters. Cinematographer Rob Hardy pulls off this unbiased framing of warfare with matter-of-fact framing of the characters and violence, refraining from too many close-ups and a deep focus on all the planes–just as the eye would take the spectacles in. The colors in this film are vibrant, but not with a stylized color palette, in the way that you see the world when you are taking in something and all of your senses are sharp. The brutishness of Civil War leaves room for only anxiety and fear of what could happen and nearly no time to mourn the world or people that are destroyed along the way. War is death and violence incarnate and it is not for the faint of heart.

Much of the fear comes from not knowing who to root for, and what outcome results in the good guys winning or losing while watching neighbors kill each other for an unknown cause. Lee, Joel, Jesse, and Sammy navigate this battlefield knowing that one wrong step with the wrong group could result in their death for “America” can mean something different to anyone. Garland uses the perspectives of these journalists trying to capture images and encounters to one day piece together history and make sense of it all. The London-based writer and director shows audiences, especially those who are American, just how deadly Americans can be. Being released during an election year is no coincidence as the United States is headed for another Trump election that is sure to bring out the worst in every American. 

Civil War is a warning call to all as the “common good” means something different to many folks. Garland plays on the tensions in the United States as women have their constitutional rights being taken away, Presidents are losing their credibility through old age or federal crimes, and its citizens feel anything but united with one another. 

Score: 4 out of 5

What I enjoy so much about Garland’s Civil War is that his personal and political opinions are so far removed from the film and he leaves the audience the grace to pick up on nuances and choose their morals. There is no clear answer on whether the outcome will be right or wrong, but based on your personal beliefs, you will find an ending that can be a win or a loss. Having a British filmmaker tackle an American Civil War adds an element of coldness that will not lead an audience to accept a certain creed; however, the tactical depictions of war remind Americans (most of whom have never seen war) how much suffering will happen. War is not glamorized in this film, it makes you fear the possibility and hope this never becomes an American reality.