Civil War
Civil War
Starring Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley Henderson
Directed by Alex Garland
In the near future America is divided between the loyalist states who remain loyal to the seemingly dictatorial President (Nick Offerman), and the seceded states including the Western Forces, Florida Alliance and New People's Army that want to take him down. War photojournalist Lee Smith (Kristen Dunst) and her journalistic colleague Joel (Wagner Moura) are planning on heading to Washington, D.C. to interview the President before the secessionist forces take the city. Lee is a hardened photographer who would literally picture a person dying instead of saving them in order to tell the story, and she doesn't really show any emotion - except in New York City when she saves aspiring photographer Jessie Cullen (Cailee Spaeny) from a suicide bomber. Jessie has always looked up to Lee and wants to join them on their trek, but Lee won't allow it - so she goes through Joel to worm her way in, along with their friend and fellow journalist Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson) whom they see as a liability. Together the four of them traverse the near-apocalyptic country as they come across armed men, militias, refugees and madmen. Lee reluctantly takes Jessie under her wing and shows her how to take photographs and, more importantly, how to distance yourself from what you see happening. When they finally get to D.C. they find it under siege, but for them their lives are worth getting the story, and will stop at nothing to get that story out.
"Civil War" is a quiet film surrounded by noise, a movie that focuses on the journalists and their journey rather than the shootings, bombings and explosions happening around them. It's a film that sheds light on reporter integrity, and how in order to be a successful reporter you have to put your preconceived notions of justice, truth and friendship on the back-burner to tell the whole, uncorrupted story. We hear a lot about "fake news" nowadays, and that comes from pundits who pose as reporters, but in reality serve merely as human talking points for whatever political end of the spectrum they find themselves in. True reporters have no such political leanings, and they'll blend in like chameleons as they switch sides again and again to get the complete story, as devoid of emotion as you can get, while sacrificing everything - including possibly their own lives - to get that story told.
The film relies heavily on these protagonists as they make their way through a newly formed America, as they see bullets and rockets flying at night as they take shelter in an abandoned station, or find themselves in the thick of things as they find rival snipers going at it. What's most important in the film is, actually, that scene - when they're talking to the two snipers next to them, one man simply says, "they're trying to kill us, we're trying to kill them." You don't know what side they're on, and you don't really care - because they don't care either. The movie boils everything down to the barest common denominator: kill or be killed, regardless of political party.
Alex Garland is a masterclass magician when it comes to sci-fi thrillers that have a deeply humanistic take on life. He wrote "28 Days Later" and "Sunshine" while directing "Ex Machina" and "Annihilation," and all these films shed light on the human condition. Be it mistrust of the army, mistrust of AI, or mistrust of one another, Garland really offers bleak outlooks on humanity - and "Civil War" is no different, as he now offers mistrust of the government and each other. Is there much hope in this film? Not really, but he manages to keep it from becoming a total downer thanks to the performances and the way he crafts the story. Make no mistake, it's a downer, but you can't take your eyes off the screen and its effects will last in your psyche long after the film ends.
Kirsten Dunst continues to amaze in her choice of roles - be it "Melancholia," "Fargo," or this, she has effortlessly shed her "Spider-Man" and "Bring it On" persona and crafted some memorable, deeply flawed characters. Lee is a woman hell bent on her mission, and doesn't allow emotions or feelings to get in her way - or at least that's how she comes across. Yet there's moments where you see glimpses of humanity, and shows in her ability to perform her duty. Taking in young Jessie is an emotional thing, but even in that there's a robotic feel to her persona, as Jessie asked if she was getting killed would Lee photograph it, to which Lee replied she probably would. Dunst dominates the screen and offers a complex, heavily layered character.
Wagner Moura and Stephen McKinley Henderson also offer their own unique characteristics in Joel and Sammy, where both men know the severity of the situation but also allow human emotions to get into the mix without really clashing with their objectives. Joel takes Jessie in because he doesn't see the harm, and although Sammy isn't as spry as he once was, he offers sage advice and even dark humor to the festivities, giving both men ample screen time to come across as fully fleshed characters instead of caricatures.
Yet the character with the greatest growth is Cailee Spaeny's Jessie, who at first comes across as a novice photographer who finds herself in danger thanks to her inexperience, but under Lee's expert tutledge learns the ability to take great photographs by ignoring your feelings, sending her more and more into harm's way but giving her a resilience to not give into the darker urges. She transforms in the film and it's like a journalistic hero's journey, and Spaeny owns it like a champ.
The cinematography is also the film's highlights, as cinematographer Rob Hardy blends the naturalistic landscape with the hell humanity tolls on it, while also serving as stark connection between being a reporter and the cost of it, most notably one particular scene you'll know when you see it. Throw in some beautiful visuals when they're driving through a forest fire - on top of other stunning visuals that you'll have to see to fully appreciate - and you got one beautifully shot film showcasing the worst in humanity.
Better to leave your political leanings at the door, "Civil War" is more a character study in the true art of reporting rather than a politically charged action film - and the movie is all the better for it.
The Score: A+
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